A PLAN to build a £500,000 community hall and car park in Brockhall Village has come under fire from parish councillors.

The Brockhall Village Residents' Association and Brockhall Village Ltd, run by developer Gerald Hitman, want to build a community centre with meeting rooms, sports facilities, youth club, bar and stage.

They also want to wrap up the development of Brockhall Village with the construction of 80 homeworking units for small businesses on land designated for industrial use.

But Billington and Langho Parish Council has accused the applicants of attempting to court sympathy with planners by including the proposed village hall and housing in the same application in a bid to get permission for homes.

The scheme forms part of a major planning application to be shortly considered by the Ribble Valley Council's Planning Committee.

Andrew Coney, chairman of the Brockhall Village Residents' Association, said the application was based on the wishes of Brockhall's 170-plus households.

"The application provides us with what we think is lacking in the village and gives the remaining undeveloped land a use that would bring about a conclusion to the development. The proposed scheme is the brainchild of residents, which is why we are joint applicants with the developer".

But Graham Sowter, vice-chairman of the Billington and Langho Parish Council, said it would be objecting strongly to the scheme.

"We believe the site already has permission for a building for community use, so the application might be superfluous.

"The community hall and homeworking applications are quite distinct in planning terms and, as we see it, a link has been created in order to court sympathy with planners and the general public, and assist in opening up yet more areas for housing."

Mr Hitman said the plans would be implemented as a package or not at all and warned the alternative was less palatable. "If the residents' association cannot get the eight acres approved for work units, we will have to fall back on our old planning consent.

"That means going back to institutional care, something like a drug rehabilitation unit or a bail hostel. Though RVBC has given planning permission for that range of uses, I don't think anyone wants to see it."