THE SITE of a former garden centre could be transformed into a house.

The Beardwood and Lammack Muslim Society are planning to submit an application for a five-bedroom three storey house on the car park of the former Beardwood Garden Centre.

On Sunday, workmen were seen clearing the Preston New Road site and neigbours raised concerns after a number of trees were felled. Norrie Crook, who lives in a house next to the disused land, said: “I was under the impression that tree preservation orders were in place here and we weren’t told that any orders had been lifted so we were quite surprised when we saw all the trees being cut down.

“Our house adjoins the site and now with all the trees gone there is nothing to shelter us from the road.

“People should obtain the correct permission before chopping down trees as it sets a bad example to others.”

However, council leader Michael Lee, insisted that permission to cut down all the trees on the old car park had been granted by the council’s environment department.

He said: “I have confirmed with our environmental officers that the trees on the site were OKto be removed as they were decaying.”

In 2007, an application to build a Resource Centre on the site for the Muslim community in the area was refused by planning bosses at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.

A spokesperson at architectural design practice Scheme Designs in Lincoln Road, confirmed that a planning application for a house was to be submitted on behalf of his client, the Beardwood and Lammack Muslim Society.