PLANS are being drawn up for a large-scale housing development in Barrow.

A development as large as Brockhall Village is being considered for the small Ribble Valley village, it is understood.

Hundreds of houses could be built on green belt land heading towards the railway station, in Whalley Road.

Housing association Great Places confirmed it was looking at the possibility of providing a number of affordable homes in the area.

The estate would swell the population of the 1,200-strong village, and has caused concern among residents.

Parish councillor Jean Brown, of Chorlton Terrace in the village, said more houses would ‘turn Barrow into a town’.

She said: “It is totally inappropriate considering we have had a lot of housing development in the area recently.

"We’ve got to have progress and there is a need for housing for young people, but we just haven’t got the infrastructure to cope with such a large-scale development.

“Barrow cannot support all of this development. It is just ludicrous.”

A separate ‘mini village’ development on unused land at a former printworks site, in Barrow Brook, was given the final go-ahead in May. It will feature a mix of 70 flats, apartments and houses.

The multi-million pound Brockhall Village is a gated community made up of 400 homes and Blackburn Rovers’ training ground.

Wiswell and Pendleton councillor Robert Thompson, said: “This development would be most unwelcome from the views that have been expressed by residents in the past about similar proposals.”

A three-bed house in Barrow currently costs between £389,000 to £450,000.

Matthew Harrison, deputy chief executive of Great Places Housing Group, said: “We are looking into the possibility of developing a site in Barrow, but discussions are at an early stage and nothing has been agreed.

“Any future proposals would be made public as part of any planning process, and local people would be able to give their views.”

RESIDENTS' VIEWS ON HOUSING SCHEME

MICHAEL BALL, a farmer who lives in Catlow Terrace, said: “My cellar floods all the time at the moment because the drainage system is appalling. More houses will just create more drainage issues and the sewers won’t be able to cope. Also the site they are planning to build on is like a nature reserve, with a lot of wildlife, and a new development will ruin all of that.”

HAYLEY SIMPSON, 19, of Greenmount, said: “I think a new development will have a negative impact on the house prices in Barrow and it will blight the area and ruin our beautiful countryside. More houses will also mean more families, and the schools are already oversubscribed. There just isn’t room here for more housing developments.”

ROB PARRY, 32, of Whalley Road, said: “I’ve lived here for about eight years and the traffic along the road is quite bad at times, especially in the mornings and at the end of the day. It would definitely be a concern, safety-wise, if the new houses added to it because I’ve got a baby on the way.”

NICOLA HIGHAM, of Abbey Terrace, said: “We are concerned about the development, especially the impact on the local primary school which is already over-subscribed. Also, if the road was to get busier, it would be terrible.”

MICHAEL EDWARDSON, a parish councillor, of Cockerill Terrace, said: “New, affordable houses are definitely needed because there is nothing for young people. People do have their concerns though, but because the plans for the former printworks have been passed, there’s not much we can do any more, but wait for the work to start.”