A COUNCIl estate dubbed as "a vision of hell" by a Bolton MP will get a £1 million-plus cash injection if a bid for Government funds is successful.

Home Office Minister Tom Sackville, MP for Bolton West, caused a storm last month when he blasted conditions on the estate, off Hulton Lane, Deane, and accused Bolton Council of mismanagement.

Mr Sackville visited the estate which has many empty properties. Drug-related crime is a major problem in the area and the empty houses have been boarded up to stop them being used as drug dens.

But Cllr Noel Spencer, Chairman of Bolton Council's Housing Committee, said Mr Sackville should "stop knocking the estate" and support the application for extra funding.

A bid for cash from the Capital Challenge Fund has now gone to the Department of the Environment.

It includes proposals to upgrade the estate as part of a multi-million pound package.

The Capital Challenge Fund is the latest in a list of local authority funding competitions which have been introduced by the Government to attract investment.

If the bid is successful a range of pilot projects will be introduced on the estate aimed at improving people's homes and environment.

Local residents will be encouraged to get involved during the various stages of the project.

Other projects include an innovative scheme encouraging youths to get involved in sports and recreational activities which will also provide training and job opportunities.

Cllr Spencer said the root of the problems on the estate reflected the Government's poor record in providing sufficient funding to combat housing decay, unemployment and crime.

He said: "I acknowledge that Mr Sackville was clearly unaware that Hulton Lane had been put forward for additional Government funding or he probably would have been less critical of the council's attempts to improve the situation.

"There are difficulties, but his comments are clearly unhelpful.

"Our aim is to build up people's confidence in the area and not to denigrate the local community.

"I would ask him, if he is serious in helping us to tackle the problems at Hulton Lane, to use his best efforts to support Bolton's bid for Capital Challenge funding, so that our proposals to improve the conditions of people living in the area will be realised."

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