WORK has finally started on a controversial rubbish-contaminated site on the outskirts of Blackburn.

The land at Lower Whitehalgh Farm in Feniscowles has been blighted by at least 160,000 tonnes of mainly illegally-dumped waste.

New owners hope to develop the site, previously earmarked for a golf course and then a holiday village, for housing.

News that remediation work has started on the 112 acres has been welcomed by senior councillors and Blackburn MP Kate Hollern.

Black Pearl Homes, which bought the land in November, have dropped a long-delayed £13million scheme for a 94 log cabin holiday village by previous owners Castleland Ltd dating from 2007

Blackburn with Darwen Borough regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley and Mrs Hollern are delighted with the sudden progress on clearing the site between Brokenstone Road and the M65 .

Local Livesey with Pleasington Tory councillor Derek Hardman said allowing Black Pearl to build homes would be a ‘betrayal’ of promises by the council that the site would not be developed for housing

The 112-acre site has seen waste dumping for more than two decades, with a skip company illegally tipping thousands of tonnes in 2000 after the farm’s owners had previously piled debris on the site under a 1993 planning approval for a golf course.

They and the skip company director were later fined for environmental offences and ordered to remove the waste but never did so.

David Frohnsdorff, site development manager for Black Pearl Homes, said: “Remediation work has started.

“There is at least 160,000 tonnes of waste which will be treated and kept mainly on site in sealed and secure surroundings.

“It will take about 18 months to complete.

“We do not feel the leisure village plan is viable and propose a residential development.

“We would be looking at a minimum of the 100 properties in the previous planning application on about 30 acres of the site.”

Cllr Riley said: “We are absolutely delighted remediation work has started. It is an enormous task."

“It is clear that the Pleasington Lakes leisure village scheme was never viable.

“There is a considerable cost involved and the developer will have to recover that.

“What is eventually developed on this land will be a matter for the planning process.”

Conservative regeneration spokesman Cllr Hardman said: “I am pleased remediation has finally started but building homes would be betrayal of local people.“The council has always promised this land would not be used for housing.”

Blackburn MP Kate Hollern said: “I was absolutely delighted to visit the site and meet with those carrying out these remediation works. “Local residents have endured this blight for far too long."

“It is absolutely great to see significant progress being made.”