Mahboob Ahmed, a former councillor for the ward, said following the decision to replace R-Gen as one of the partners in the regeneration package, the council had started work on two blocks of homes to "save its own skin".

He went on: "The council has taken an ostrich-like approach where it buries its head in the sand and hopes the problem will go away. But it will not and I will continue to come to every meeting to speak up for Whitefield against the administration and the council."

Executive Director (Regeneration) Mr Brian Cookson said discussions on a contingency plan were ongoing and a report on the latest position would be presented to the next meetings of the Whitefield Partnership and the council's Housing Regeneration Committee.



And two Liberal Democrat councillors have called on the council and "everyone else involved" to get on with the demolition of the former Leader Times print works in Every Street, Nelson.

Coun. Nadeem Ahmed said everyone in the area was "fed up to the back teeth" with the ugly and dangerous building. He said: "Rows of houses next to it are now being repaired and improved. This building is just a blot on the landscape – it has no part to play in the Whitefield of the future. It is time to cut through the red tape."

Housing Market Renewal executive member Coun. Tony Greaves said there was now no reason why the mainly red brick industrial building should not be knocked down. "I wanted to get it knocked down three years ago but it was tied up in red tape to do with the Whitefield Conservation Area and the planning applications for the 'R.gen' scheme in that area.

"Now that R.gen are no longer involved it just has to go."