RESIDENTS living near a former school all-weather pitch are furious that a council has sold the rare piece of open space for new homes.

Householders on Old Gates Drive have vowed to oppose the proposal for 29 new homes at Lomond Gardens in the Green Lane area in Blackburn.

The plot, used as an all-weather pitch for St Bede’s Roman Catholic High School until 1997, was sold last month with planning permission for up to 35 homes, to McDermott Homes for more than £1million.

The Altham-based developer plans to build 29 three and four-bedroomed houses.

Residents and Livesey with Pleasington ward Cllr Derek Hardman are also unhappy with the process of the planning approval and sale and proposals to access the site from Old Gates Drive.

Protest leader Kevin Allcock said: “This is the only piece of public open space in the area.

“People take their children to play there, teach them to ride bikes and, like me, walk their dogs on it. Local residents are furious. We knew nothing about it until the land was sold. I don’t think they notified us properly.

“There are at least 26 people involved in the campaign to stop this development going ahead.

"To propose to access it off Old Gates Drive is absurd and dangerous. It’s already like a slalom track with parked cars.

“It couldn’t take another 60 cars from the new houses let alone the heavy lorries for construction.”

Rick Moore, deputy chairman of the Feniscowles and Cherry Tree Residents’ Association, said: “We are totally opposed to this development. We will fight it and won’t give up.”

Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s regeneration boss, said: “This scheme has gone through the planning process and been approved. If residents have concerns of substance, I am sure the developer will listen. The council will monitor the scheme to make sure disruption to residents is kept to a minimum.”

Cllr Hardman, the Conservative regeneration spokesman, said: “I am concerned about how this process has been handled. Residents were initially told they could see plans at Blackburn Town Hall which is closed because of coronavirus. It could have waited.

"I don’t think the access should be off Lomond Gardens or Old Gates Drive. There should be a road off Green Lane.”

Mr Allcock, a 53-year-old who works in NHS logistics at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, said: “We don’t need more houses here. There is plenty of building going on in the area anyway.”