EMOTIONS ran high at a meeting between neighbouring communities which are at loggerheads over a proposal to introduce weight restrictions on a road.

More than 20 residents of Hud Hey Road and Roundhill Road, which becomes the B6236 Haslingden Road in Oswaldtwistle, attended a Lancashire Local Hyndburn meeting to ask councillors why they have blocked a seven-and-a-half tonne weight limit on the Rossendale end of the road.

It had previously been reported to Lancashire Local Rossendale that Hyndburn had reservations about the effect the ban on the road, which leads to Blackburn through Oswaldtwistle, would have in their area.

But after listening to the plea the Hyndburn Local meeting agreed to set up a committee with represen-tatives from Rossendale Local to discuss the problem.

Christine Holden, who lives with husband Andrew on Hud Hey Road, said at the meeting in Accrington: "We are asking for Hyndburn's co-operation. We should not have to be enduring this.

"They will not be displaced into your area because they are already there, turning down New Lane, Oswald-twistle. We would like to know why Hyndburn is objecting. It would benefit both ends of the road and people in outlying areas. We should be working together on a community issue."

Both sides agreed at the meeting that lorries were being displaced on to the B6236 from Grane Road, since a ban was put in place there.

Using these roads makes the journey to Blackburn approximately eight miles shorter.

Rossendale Council leader Duncan Ruddick said: "Grane Road has been a success story. The truck monopoly is gone but it has displaced on to Haslingden Road. It needs some kind of weight control."

Chair of the meeting, Osw-aldtwistle County Coun Dorothy Westwell, confirmed councillors had previously blocked the ban.

The committee agreed to County Coun Doreen Pollitt's suggestion that both parties select three representatives to form a joint committee to work on the issue with officers.

She said it should be possible to set up a meeting with them in around 10 days.