EARLIER flood warnings will be issued to villagers at risk from the River Irwell, at the cost of a planned village green.

The Government this week gave the Environment Agency the green light to extend monitoring equipment in Irwell Vale, a protected area, despite objections by Rossendale Borough Council.

The council had rejected the application to extend the existing Irwell Vale Gauging Station and the construction of a flow measurement cableway across the River Irwell.

But the decision was overruled by a Government planning inspector who, despite admitting that some of the equipment would spoil the area, insisted the benefits to the community outweighed the disadvantages.

The inspector's report said: "The proposed cableway across the river would be visually intrusive. It is a sensitive area and would have an adverse impact on the recreational use of the river and the riverside in an area of potential significance to the local community as the local authority have applied to have it designated as a village green.

"The need for development to forecast flooding in the area outweighs the adverse impact on the recreational use of a small part of the river in the area."

The inspector ruled that the extension of the gauging station would not "affect the character or appearance of the Irwell Vale conservation area".

About 60 houses in the area are at risk from flooding, and a further 4,000 in Salford. The new equipment will allow the Environment Agency to give two hours advance notice, compared to the present 30 minutes.