SUPERMARKET giant Sainsbury’s have been told to think again if they want to build their latest East Lancashire store and see 60 lorries a day pass a neighbouring terrace.

Vital works must be undertaken by the chain before they can construct their new supermarket on land off Langroyd Road, Colne.

Firstly, repairs need to be carried out on a sewer, then a culvert must be diverted and there is also a significant Japanese knotweed problem to tackle.

But this would mean, as the sewer engineers and culvert contractors need to have separate entrances, that one site access would have to be taken off Norfolk Street. Supermarket agents say any delay could more than double the construction time for the store, to be built partly on the site of Coach House Antiques in the town.

Councillors on the Colne and District Committee of Pendle Council have ruled that their proposals are unacceptable and ordered them to go back to the drawing board.

Committee chairman Coun Sharon Davies said: “The main concern of people living in Norfolk Street was the problem of traffic using that road as a rat run. When we gave permission for the supermarket it was on the basis that no traffic was to go along Norfolk Street, so Sainsbury's cannot say they were not warned.”

Coun Anne Kerrigan added: “This would just make a mockery of all of the discussions we had before we gave this planning permission.

“If traffic was even allowed up here from 8am to 6pm it would be when children are going to or from school or playing out.”

Planning agent Sarah Jones, on behalf of Sainsbury’s, said the site conditions had only been discovered since contractors had been employed and an assessment made of the land.

She added: “This is the most feasible and quickest way of getting this land developed, which would minimise disruption for local residents.”

Councillors were told that the first phase of the remedial works would see 30 lorries arriving and leaving the site at Norfolk Street for the first two months.

The committee backed a traffic- calming scheme which would see three raised ‘tables’ erected along Norfolk Street, but rejected access arrangements.

Developers must now submit an alternative scheme or extend the time needed for remedial works.