PLANS to create a £70million national centre for extreme sports in East Lancashire have been scrapped.

Earlier this month project leaders vowed to continue with plans for an Adrenaline Village in Stacksteads, Rossendale, despite a bid for Big Lottery funding failing.

However, at a public meeting to discuss the plans, organised by Rossendale Leisure Trust, it was revealed that the sports village would not be built at the Lee Mill and Moor Quarry site after all.

Gary Hood, chief executive of Rossendale Leisure Trust, who is leading the project, said: "It was disappointing not to get the funding, but we were competing with the likes of the Eden Project for the money.

"We have moved on from that now, and gone back to plan A which is to develop what Rossendale has already got."

The plan was to make Rossendale the playground' of the North by building a centre of excellence for mountain biking, skiing, climbing and watersports.

The proposals also included the relocation of Ski Rossendale to the new site, and the creation of a massive 500m main ski slope.

Leisure bosses hoped the centre would also house England's premier mountain biking facility and provide paragliding and dry sledging, as well as horse riding, archery, and large-scale art work.

They also planned to use the quarries as natural amphitheatres for open-air summer music concerts.

An £80,000 feasibility study had been carried out to try and bring the centre to Rossendale.

But that money will not have been spent in vain as ideas from the study will still be put into action.

Residents attending the public meeting at Bacup Leisure Hall were told that the emphasis is now to develop Rossendale's mountain bike, rambling, and bridleway routes by strategically placing cafes, shops, toilets and showers.

Leisure bosses also say there is a need to modernise Ski Rossendale.

The area is to be promoted as an Adren-aline Gate-way' to help it compete with the likes of the Lake District to make it a place tourists want to visit.

Consultant Dan Anderson, of Tribal, based in Cirencester, produced the original feasibility study to be presented to the Lottery.

He said branding Rossendale as an Adrenaline Gateway', by packaging all the Valley's activities under one umbrella, would encourage coach parties of tourists from other parts of the country to visit the borough.

He said: "People are more likely to want to experience what the Adrenaline Gateway' has to offer, rather than just saying come to Rossendale."

However, residents living close to the quarry site were concerned that a development was still going to take place.

Labour councillor Alyson Barnes reassured residents.

She said: "There is a big misunderstanding here. People are concerned about a massive project around Lee Mill Quarry that will have an impact on their lives.

"That project is not going to happen and we are now looking at what can be salvaged and that's a good thing for the Valley.

"We are looking at sports and activities that can be built on in an organic way that the area can cope with."