PLANS for a new independent school in Rossendale have been rejected.

ACE Provision Limited had hoped to provide ‘alternative care and education’ at Shiers’ School, in Market Street, Shawforth. But members of the council’s development control committee ignored planning officers’ adv-ice to approve the scheme, and voted unanimously against the proposals.

They cited innappropriate access, poor play area provision, and concerns about the industrial nature of the site.

The school was due to be housed in an unused building at the Mercedes Garage, and would have created seven new jobs.

Three Whitworth town councillors spoke in opposition to the plans, at a meeting in Futures Park, Bacup, on Tuesday night.

Independent Madeline De Souza, said the classrooms ‘represented a prison environment’.

Des Coop, a retired Lancashire Police detective inspector, who is one of ACE Provision Limited’s five directors, said the ‘concerted, orchestrated opposition’ to the scheme was ‘ill-informed’.

He said: “We’re very disappointed, frustrated and surprised.

“We are a group that care passionately about what we do, and the int-ention to do good, to create jobs, and invest in a dormant building doesn’t seem to have been recog-nised.

“We’re trying to do something positive.

“We will wait until we receive formal notice of the reasons for refusal, but we may have to take our business out of Rossendale because of the lack of support, and find people with more vision.

“Somebody has a bee in their bonnet. It’s short-sighted.”

The school, which passed registration tests with education regulator Ofs-ted, and faced no objec-tion from fire and highways authorities, would have provided space for up to 20 pupils, aged 11 to 17, with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Coun Jackie Oakes said: “Everyone agrees we need these facilities, but it’s not a punishment facility. We have a duty of care.”

Coun Peter Roberts added: “It’s a totally unsuitable building and an inhumane environment to put children with emotional difficulties in.”