A BUILDING firm seeking to build dozens of homes on the rural edge of a town has been warned it has a battle on its hands.

Blackburn-based Beck Developments has making its third attempt to develop land between Red Lane and The Meadows in Colne.

It wants to build 55 homes, with vehicular access off Red Lane and a pedestrian/cycle link to The Meadows.

The previous smaller-scale attempts were rejected on appeal after being turned down by Pendle planners over highways, drainage and design concerns.

Red Lane is a relatively quiet country lane used as a rat run to avoid Colne town centre and a school, Sacred Heart RC Primary, is immediately next to the proposed site.

A document submitted by Beck Developments to support the application said: “The application site comprises some 2.75 hectares of poor-quality, unimproved grazing land between Red Lane and The Meadows.”

Beck Developments bought the southern part of the site in 2014 and submitted two unsuccessful separate applications for 36 dwellings. On each occasion a planning inspector upheld Pendle Council’s rejection of the plans.

But the Beck document adds: “Since the appeal Beck has conducted a succession of discussions with the council as well as with relevant statutory bodies to fine-tune their intentions and ensure the scheme will deliver a high-quality housing development which fulfils adopted policy requirements.

“Fundamentally, the revised approach proposes an increased number of dwellings on a larger site.”

This would involve the land bought by Beck in 2014 and adjoining land that is owned by Pendle Council.

The documents said: “By combining the sites the development proposal secures an alternative access opportunity on to Red Lane in the north.”

County Cllr Joe Cooney, who represents Colne on Lancashire County Council and is also a Pendle borough councillor, said a public meeting would be called to gauge opinion on the proposal.

County Cllr Cooney said: “Red Lane is called a lane for a reason.

"We have already seen issues of HGVs using it as a short cut.

“I have asked the highways team to have a serious look at this application.

“The school has the feel of a small country school and a great big housing estate right next to it would have a big impact on that.”

All the houses proposed in the scheme are of two storeys to match those nearby and Beck insists the proposed development would be fully in keeping with the neighbourhood.

But County Cllr Cooney, who attended Sacred Heart as a boy, said: “We have a track record in defending this land and we will continue to do so.”