A COUNCIL is cracking down on home and landowners who allow their properties or sites to become eyesores which blight the lives of residents.

Rossendale council is using its powers to request that owners bring the appearance of unsightly properties and land up to an acceptable standard if they have fallen into disrepair.

If owners refuse, the council can then carry out the work itself and send the owner the bill.

The council will then take to court anyone who refuses to pay up.

Since autumn 2006 the council has written to the owners of 108 property and landowners to ask for improvement work to be carried out, under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, after complaints from residents from across the borough.

Carole Todd, head of street scene and liveability, said the project had exceeded all expectations.

She said: "It has brought forward some £1m of inward investment and returned some 30 properties to productive use.

"It has also resulted in a real environmental improvement to the borough, with more than 20 sites being cleaned up and fenced off.

"We intend to continue with the project, adding sites as they come to our attention."

Since the crackdown began last year, more than 50 sites have either been totally resolved or are in the process of being sorted out by their owners.

Councillor Judith Driver, portfolio holder for clean and green, said: "The message to eyesore land and property owners is improve the property or land, or we will do it for you and send you the bill.

"In the past eyesore properties have blighted the lives of neighbouring residents.

"I am pleased that we are now using our powers to do something positive about this problem."

Funding for the crackdown came from Elevate, the East Lancashire Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder, which was also used to tackle the problem of long-term vacant homes in the borough.