RED-FACED council officials are waiting to hear from insurers after assuring residents they would be compensated for a planning blunder.

In September the Citizen revealed that 10 residents of Darwen's Avondale Road were told Weltonhurst factory, that backs onto their homes, had wrongly been allowed to nearly double the height of its roof.

Householders who previously had views of Darwen now look at a 8.5 metre high metal-clad wall, just six metres away from their kitchen window.

Following the District Valuer's assessment, residents are being individually assessed for compensation offers.

Residents spokesperson, Kevin Hutchinson, said: "We are not gold diggers but believe it is only right we should be treated fairly, after all it is us who have to live with this monumental mistake which has robbed us of our privacy and blighted our properties.

"We are disgusted it took the council so long to come to an amicable agreement."

Neighbour, Frank Brown added: "I can't really comment on the compensation because we have not yet received a definite figure. We're waiting for the insurer's assessment."

A spokesperson for Blackburn Borough Council said: "We're still waiting to hear from our insurance company but we hope this can be resolved soon."

But furious Darwen Councillor Paul Browne said that no amount of money could compensate for what the residents have to live with.

He fumed: "The planning officers who made this mistake should be severely disciplined. The way these people have been treated is terrible. The whole incident has been a disaster from the word go."

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