HOUSEPROUD residents were told they had failed to get massive improvements to their council estates - because they had looked after their homes too well!

While millions were poured into rundown Burnley estates, houses in Lowerhouse were always too good to meet the improvement criteria, council bosses admitted.

But now lack of investment has caught up with homes on the Palace House and Woodbine estates - and the authority does not have the money to improve them.

And after receiving a 90-name petition from residents calling for action, Labour finance boss Peter Kenyon admitted: "Residents have just cause to remind us of the lack of expenditure.

"They could be said to be the victims of their own carefulness. They have looked after their homes so they have never qualified for major improvement."

And he told the housing committee: "Feelings on the estate are running very high." Young mums, Karen Elliot and Julie Fisher of Cardigan Avenue, who organised the petition, told councillors many homes had only a single gas fire and no double glazing. Windows were rotting and walls wet.

And they warned councillors they would not be giving up the fight until improvements were made.

Housing chairman Rafique Malik backed the call for a public meeting to explain to residents the council's cash problems.

He said Lowerhouse estate had missed out when cash was available because they were not as run-down as other areas.

"It is a tribute to the residents who kept it in very good order," he said.

But Liberal Democrat leader Gordon Birtwistle hammered the council for failing to support good tenants for years - and called for the Lowerhouse case to be put directly to housing minister Hilary Armstrong when she visits the areas next month.

"These people are excellent tenants - they pay their rents, look after their properties, cause no grief, tend their gardens and are proud of their area.

"But when they ask us for help they are told there is no money. It is not good enough."

Coun Kenyon said the housing minister should be invited to Lowerhouse to see the problems.

Today mother-of-two Mrs Elliot vowed to continue the fight for improvements and to win a neighbourhood office for the estates.

"To say we didn't deserve improvements because we were too decent and caring is just rubbing salt in the wound," she added.

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