TOWN halls across East Lancashire are set to share a £52 million jackpot earmarked for housing over the next five years.

The cash, proceeds from council house sales, will go on building new homes and repairing run down and dilapidated estates.

Burnley is likely to get the biggest slice with £14.1 million, closely followed by Blackburn with Darwen at £13.6 million. Rossendale should benefit to the tune of £5.2 million and the Ribble Valley around £2.6 million.

Hyndburn's share will be an estimated £10.2 million and Pendle £6.15 million. The money will probably be allocated over the next five years.

Around £5 billion has been set aside from council house sales across the country over the last seven years. And the new Labour government is planning to give the cash back and at the same time direct it to areas where it is most needed. All the money handed out under the scheme has to be spent on housing and building projects. The plan also includes getting jobless youngsters off the dole. Housing minister Hilary Armstrong revealed in the Commons how the scheme will work.

She said: "We wish to ensure that spending generated under the receipts initiative will be directed towards priority housing needs. Capital receipts themselves, however, have not always been generated in the areas of greatest need.

"Some authorities have generated significant volumes of receipts but have relatively low needs. Others have had little or no scope to generate significant receipts, yet have particularly high needs. Our intention is that the resources will be targeted on housing and housing-related regeneration programmes.

"We, therefore wish to ensure that local authorities integrate the additional spending in their housing strategies, plan for badly needed repairs to dilapidated stock and support new provision where it is needed."

The final figure destined for each council will be announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown when he puts together his first budget next month.

Mohammed Khan, Blackburn with Darwen housing and community services chairman, said: "We welcome this Government initiative to release this cash which is much needed in Blackburn and Darwen.

"This money will go some way to easing the shortage of funds for housing in the borough."

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