MORE than 200 houses have been targeted for demolition in an attempt to rid Burnley of its most run-down council homes.

The £500,000 clearance plan for the Barclay Hills, Stoops and Hargher Clough estates is expected to get the go-ahead at a special meeting of the council's housing committee tomorrow. The proposals, reached after months of consultation with residents, also put a further 90 surrounding homes on an "at risk" register and they may be either improved or cleared.

A high proportion of the targeted properties have been empty for some time and are costing the council massive sums in security and lost rent.

If all 293 houses on the assessment lists were to go, the costs would rise to £760,000, says a report to members.

Councillors are also being asked to give the go-ahead for the "immediate" re-housing of tenants in the target area's occupied properties.

The letting of homes in the "at risk" areas will be suspended.

Officers say demolition is needed to improve the quality of life of remaining tenants, stop the spread of dereliction and to allow plans for the transfer of the town's entire housing stock to a private company to go-ahead. Councillors have been told the transfer would not be viable if the problem homes are included.

Officers are urging care in the demolition process.

A report says: "Clearly what needs as far as possible to be avoided is a situation in which a demolition programme results in the blighting of adjacent areas."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.