Burnley council has announced that, after an 11 week public consultation, it has received approval from DLUHC to renew/extend its selective licensing scheme covering around 2000 homes in the borough.

The council has operated selective licensing in parts of the town since 2008 with the most recent scheme expiring at the end of 2021 and says that while there was "an improving picture in both designation areas" not continuing with licensing at this stage "would present a risk that improvements seen will not be sustained or built on without new [designations] in place.". Improvements following on from the previous designation included a fall in housing disrepair complaints, improvements to property and area security measures, a rise in property values as well as a fall in ASB, environmental crime and empty homes underlining the council's use of selective licensing as part of its "wider housing regeneration strategy".

Whilst pointing out that improvements were achieved through a "combination of initiatives" which included selective licensing, Clare Jackson, Burnley council's private sector housing manager said the renewal of the licensing schemes "allows us to build upon these improvements and continue to support residents and good landlords in the areas.".