A DEVELOPMENT which would provide a 'home for life' for young people with learning difficulties and accommodation for the elderly has been praised by local councillors.

The plans for 14 semi-detached bungalows and 18 bedroom retirement home off Foulds Close, Colne, and a courtyard of 12 apartments off Hawley Street was given the go-ahead at the Colne and District Committee with an added seal of approval by some members.

The apartments would be used by the young people with learning difficulties and some with physical disabilities and would be somewhere they could stay with care provided on site.

Coun Edwina Sergeant visited a similar development in Darwen and told the committee that she was impressed by it.

She said: "I inspected the place and found it absolutely lovely. It's a one-to-one service and I think if they are coming down to our area we are very lucky."

The apartments will be run by Adlington-based Paragon Care.

Managing director of Paragon, Terence Harran, told the committee: "At the moment social services are referring people from Colne to Clayton-le-Moors and people are finding the distance to far for them to maintain close relationships with their children so we thought there should be facilities in this area to match those."

The two-storey retirement home and bungalows will be at the rear of houses at Grindleton Hirst and the apartments will have a separate access road from Hawley Street.