Housing Market Renewal - Market Renewal Pathfinder

For further information please visit http://www.pendle.gov.uk/hmr/hmr_index.html.

Housing Market Renewal (HMR) is not just about tackling the problem of low demand housing in Pendle. It is a holistic approach to improve people’s lives across the Borough including, health, education, heritage, environment and crime reduction.

Housing Market Renewal provides a once in a life time opportunity to uplift the quality of life for Pendle residents through improving housing, access to services and the environment around them.

Pendle along with Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley and Rossendale make up Elevate East Lancashire, just one of the nine Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder initiatives nationally.

Housing Market Renewal or HMR was established by Central Government to tackle the most acute areas of low demand housing and its associated problems in parts of the Midlands and Northern England.

These associated problems include high vacancy rates, low house prices and an increase in absentee private landlords.

Pendle Council will also be working with agencies such as the North West Development Agency, English Heritage, English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation to deliver Housing Market Renewal projects within Pendle.

Restoring confidence in the local housing market will be at the centre of a significant regeneration process for Pendle.

The housing market renewal areas for Pendle closely follow the main urban areas of Brierfield, Nelson and Colne.

Research has identified these three towns as in most need of housing market intervention. The regeneration of these towns will have benefits for the whole of Pendle.

Housing Market Renewal in Pendle aims to work with local people, community organisations and local services. Our aim is to help restore communities where people can live, work and play together in harmony.

Problems will be tackled permanently and not just displaced or deferred.

Funding

In March 2004 it was announced that East Lancashire’s Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder would receive £68 million from the Housing Market Renewal initiative fund with an additional £35 million committed by the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships and the North West Development Agency.

This will fund the first two years of the housing market renewal projects within the Elevate area.

From this Pendle will receive £13 million and a share of the £35 million from the other regeneration agencies.