Hi, there are quite a few at the end of Harwood Street, Darwen and Hindle Street and Queen Street. Oh wait a minute, it was the council that turfed the owners out to 'renew' these areas. They say patience is a virtue but waiting for this so-called Elevate area renewal is beyond a joke.

Agreed. And, yet, at the same time councils up and down the country are claiming they are lacking housing stock for homeless or desperate people.

I also note the now almost 'mandatory' deluge of 'cash for quick sale of your house or land' coming again in the area daily.

What's behind it all? I wonder.

As to being 'let out?' May as well stick a bloody big 'for let' sign on at least one half of Darwen there are so many 'renovations' which are 'let'.

Unfortunately, it also brings the area down because it doesn't always attract good quality people and, at the worst, affects local housing prices and economy.

So, the council wish to burden Darwen with more problems; created by the council, of course.

As to 'Elevate'. Don't wait for 'Elevate to accumulate'.

Regeneration is good but there are always hidden costs to social communities.

Personally, I'd love to see Darwen dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, things improve for everyone living there - God knows it's been bashed, kicked in the teeth and battered bloody by BWDC, developers you name it for donkey's years. Nice idea in principle but the outcomes are manifest in practice.

Oh, I'm forgetting something - most of the houses will be given first refusal to the Polish immigrants the town is expected to welcome openly. Mostly, people will and do. But, when it becomes apparent they are getting precedence over local people with more needy and pressing needs aren't or being superceded to accomodate them it will cause ill resentment. Another nail in the town's coffin, ready for the soil to be buried over it.

Would be nice, just once if developers did what they claimed with the houses and land they purchase. Asking to much I think. Ah, well.

I reported an empty house, which has been empty for at least 3 years i know of. I contacted the council to remove the rubbish from that rear yard as kids kept setting it on fire and broke all the rear windows. I was told to ring environmental Health. I did this and was passed from pillar to post and eventually got some action taken after reporting this to the Police 7 times! They probably got sick of me doing their head in. Anyway, about a month ago, i heard someone inside this property, and when i went to investigate, all i got was abuse - this guy actually owned the house. Can you guess what this guy had in his hand? I will give you a clue - a carrier bag full of brown letter mail sent from the social!! What can i say? I reported this also to the social - after it cost me £8.30 to eventually get through to speak with someone - and because i didn't know this guy's name and obviously didn't want my personal details leaving with these people - they would not investigate!! Hello! The property is delapidated, got broken windows, broken guttering, forced me to have damp course because of it and yet they are quite happy to pay out to my neighbour who apparently hasn't lived in the house for over 10 years! Oh yes, i forgot to mention he is Asian! Not surprised anymore are you!!

Why bother, if the council or members of their extended families want property's they will do what they did in the infirmary area of Blackburn. Let it run down by ignoring it , encourage private landlords to buy the houses cheap to house asylum seekers (some digging on the former councillor in charge of housing standards/regenerati
on throws up some interesting activities by their family members in earmarked areas). Then because of the area going to the dogs they impose land grab schemes (Compulsary Purchase orders) and tuf hard working families out of their houses for less than market value.
The only people who win are the council and their social engineering fantasies and private landlords