CONTROVERSIAL plans for a high-quality 145-house ‘village’ with country green south of Blackburn have been approved — opening the floodgates for thousands of new homes in similar projects on open countryside.

The granting of planning permission for the new ‘Livesey Green’, off Gib Lane, has been hailed as a ‘significant first step’ towards realising the borough council’s 2013 dream of building 4,000 rural executive-style homes by 2030.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The scheme, by Rule Five Land Ltd with the first new residents moving in by 2016, was approved by Blackburn with Darwen planning committee last week despite almost 40 objections, fears of flooding and suggestions it was close to a former foot and mouth burial pit.

Although the site is not protected, it’s is expected to be the first of several schemes to build luxury homes on nearly 1,200 acres of open countryside, some ‘green belt’, in and around the borough to get approval.

Another nearby scheme to construct 450 houses on the site of the former Sappi Paper MIll is set to come forward for approval later this year.

Maureen Bateson, council regeneration boss when the masterplan for 4,000 executive -style rural homes was unveiled in March 2013, said: “This approval of the Livesey Green plan is a significant step forward towards fulfilling Blackburn with Darwen Borough’s plans to build enough homes by 2030.

“The planning inspectorate has indicated its approval for the general thrust of that masterplan.”

Her successor Phil Riley said: “There is a growth agenda where we want to attract more highly-paid jobs to Blackburn with Darwen, and provide them with suitable housing.

“This show that the borough is open for business and we see this as a positive step forward.”

Tory planning spokesman Alan Cottam said: “I strongly opposed this on ground of flooding.

“It was simply rubber stamped by the planning committee after approval as part of the masterplan by the council’s executive board.

“They will now bulldoze the rest of the schemes in that plan through the committee.

“This is not local democracy.”

Borough Tory group leader Mike Lee said: “I am concerned that this application, which should not have been approved, will now open the floodgates to all the schemes in council’s housing masterplan regardless of their individual merits.”

Planning committee chairman Dave Smith said: “While I cannot pre-judge schemes, this is the template for future similar applications. It will now need very strong reasons to reject them.”

Spread across 25 acres, the initial ‘Livesey Green’ village’ includes 75 three-bedroom, 50 four-bedroom and 20 five-bedroom properties.

Rule Five are working with other developers to secure five further phases extending the development to Horden Lane and Broken Stones Road.

Other sites identified in 2013 for possible housing include land near Blackburn Rugby Club, Preston New Road near Scarr Lane, Parsonage Road at Wilpshire and Bailey’s Field, Kirkham’s Farm, Pole Lane and the Jack’s Key reservoir, all in Darwen.

The controversial plan proposed building ‘Ribble Valley executive homes at Blackburn with Darwen prices’.

The council wants 3,500 to 4,000 luxury homes built on the sites by 2018 taking them towards a government of 9,400 new properties by 2030.

Critics say the plans are in the wrong place, threatening the borough’s country borders and blighting land.