PEOPLE living in one of the poorest areas in Lancashire will have their say on how a £21 million housing redevelopment should take shape.

Residents in the area known as Nelson West are invited to air their views at two public meetings.

Nelson West, covering parts of Bradley and Whitefield wards, was in spring declared a neighbourhood renewal area and has become the focus for council resources and will continue to have priority over the coming years.

The wards, ranked as the fourth and fifth most deprived wards in Lancashire, suffer from high unemployment, poor health and poor housing.

The first public meeting on July 21, at 7pm, will specifically look at the area between the town centre and Macleod Street. The second, on July 26, will concentrate on the properties south of Macleod Street.

An exhibition will be held at Nelson Civic Theatre on the days of the meetings.

The council has put together a planning blueprint for the eight-year development.

The draft plans include redeveloping between 25 and 40 per cent of the area, with three and four-bedroomed homes to meet the needs of Asian families, and a further 20 per cent for new housing for single people.

Planners are also looking at creating an attractive "buffer zone" between Albert Street and Stanley Street and a park alongside the canal, to separate the new housing from the town centre.

The redevelopment project is likely to be split into four phases, with the council working alongside private developers.

Unfit houses will be demolished to make way for new homes, and commercial properties may be relocated or bought.