CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to continue their battle to protect a community hub, despite councillors signing off the land for housing.

Two security guards were called in to usher out prot-esters after Burnley Council’s executive voted unan- imously to dispose of land surrounding Burnley Wood Youth and Community Gr-oup, in Glebe Street.

The hub looks likely to be demolished to make way for developers Keepmoat to build 117 homes.

Planning permission had already been granted for the scheme by the council’s development control committee last month.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jeff Sumner said the decision was ‘disappointing, disgraceful and down-right political’.

He said: “I thought surely with the amount of objections put forward (584 formal letters and a 1,400-strong petition) pleading for our conditions to be met, we would get through.

“I met with Keepmoat’s managing director, David Wroe, who said he’d be happy to incorporate the Glebe Street building into their plans.

“We were over the moon about that, the whole of Burnley Wood was delighted with that repreive.

“Four days later, after he’d met with council officers, we found out he’d changed his mind.

“That was the biggest disappointment in the whole campaign for us.”

Coun Sumner, along with fellow Lib Dem borough councillor Tracy Kennedy, and County Councillor Mar- garet Brindle spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting, as did Jason Neville, chairman of Burnley Wood Youth and Community Group.

Coun Sumner said there were shouts of ‘liar’ from the 35-strong public gall-ery as the executive’s chair- man, Coun Julie Cooper, announced the decision to go ahead with the project.

He added: “All this is not over yet.

“We’ve lost a couple of steps, but we’re calling in the decision on Monday and, until it’s rubber-stamped by the Secretary of St-ate, no building can go there.

“We hope the council realise the error they’ve made and look at keeping it open.

“All we’re asking for is 0.4 hectares of land.”