The government has pledged £1 billion to the housing market renewal pathfinders programme over the next three years. Under secretary of state for communities and local government Iain Wright made the announcement following the delivery of chancellor Alistair Darling’s comprehensive spending review. The news comes after pathfinders feared the programme would be discontinued and the government had been urged to carry it on. Next month, each of the 12 pathfinders will submit their business plans for 2008-11. <br><br>Allocations will be decided on early next year. Les Brown, project director for Lower Broughton at Countryside Properties said: “We are looking forward to receiving detailed plans for the Manchester Salford pathfinder, where we’re working, in due course. The comprehensive regeneration of Lower Broughton continues to go from strength to strength so hopefully this will be more good news for the area.” However, the pathfinders have been warned that funding is likely to reduce towards the end of the three-year period, beginning next year. The National Housing Federation has calculated that the £1 billion government commitment represented around a £50 million cut compared with last year’s funding levels. In a statement, the NHF said this would amount to a 14% cut in real …