Pendle Borough Council
Market Street, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 7LG
Tel: 01282 661661 Fax: 01282 661130
What is Housing Market Renewal?
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.
Restoring confidence in the local housing market will be at the centre of a significant regeneration process for Pendle.
Pathfinders
There are nine Housing Market Renewal areas across the country called Pathfinders. Pendle is included in one of these Pathfinders; Elevate East Lancashire.
The other Pathfinders are:
Newcastle and Gateshead
Humberside
South Yorkshire
Birmingham and Sandwell
North Staffordshire
Manchester and Salford
Merseyside
Oldham and Rochdale
Housing Market Renewal in 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.
Aim
Housing Market Renewal projects across England are aiming to develop a better balance between housing supply and demand. Also integral to this is addressing social and economic issues including health, education, employment and community safety.
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.
The nine Pathfinder areas are very different and therefore the solutions will be different too.
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.
