Officials in Burnley have vowed that the election of three far right councillors last week will not derail the town's regeneration plans or efforts to resolve its housing problems.

The shock success of the British National Party in the town that was the centre of rioting last summer led to calls for the government to push ahead with its plans for neighbourhood renewal and regeneration.

Housing grievances were widely regarded as a key factor in the disorder in the Lancashire town, where the BNP averaged 27 per cent of the vote in last week's local government elections.

Tony Clarke, chair of the Burnley Task Force that investigated the disturbances last summer, said: "In my view, the government should be accelerating its programme for housing regeneration and neighbourhood renewal.

"Burnley faces a number of serious social problems, problems that have been exploited by these forces of evil."

"I have no doubt that [the BNP] will be removed at the first opportunity," he added. "Until that time I hope they will be exposed for what they really are – and treated as municipal lepers."

Responding to the result, Burnley's chief executive Gillian Taylor said: "It is a case of rolling up our sleeves and getting back on with the job of delivering services, building a better Burnley and working with people across the town to tackle the issues raised in the Burnley Task Force report."

The town is one of the first local authorities in the country to develop a community cohesion plan.

The plan has a number of specific aims which the task force will address over the next 12 months including:

targeting community relations, reviewing education policy and setting up initiatives to regenerate key neighbourhoods.

Burnley's mayor elect, Gordon Birtwistle, said the result could be due in part to the area's "appalling housing situation".

And former Commission for Racial Equality chair Lord Ouseley added that the result would cause a "severe chill factor" in the town.

Source

Housing Today