Pendle MP, Gordon Prentice has given a cautious welcome to news that housing regeneration money allocated to the Borough will not be lost as a result of delays in delivery of projects.

The MP said: “The news just before Christmas that over two-thirds of the £10.5 million allocation remained unspent with three months to go to the end of the financial year was scarcely credible. And reports of a ‘crisis’ management policy being adopted by the Council’s Housing Market Renewal committee were not encouraging.”

“Now Chief Executive Stephen Barnes has told me that a lot of approved spending only started to come through in December. He  says he is confident that all the spending will be achieved with a revised programme and, if necessary, additional contingency plans.”

“I remain concerned however that further delays may yet derail the programme. Pendle people have waited long enough for regeneration projects to get off the drawing board. I don’t want a penny of this money to be lost to neighbouring Boroughs because the Council can’t spend it by the deadline.”