Protest group fights 4,000 new homes plan for Blackburn

2:00pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Kate Jackson, Reporter

A RESIDENTS’ group has been set up to protest against plans to build 4,000 executive-style homes on greenfield sites.

Blackburn and Darwen Council has earmarked 1,200 acres of countryside on the outskirts of the towns as being suitable for larger luxury properties over the next five years in a major switch of housing policy.

They are reacting to the easing of government policy on protecting ‘green belt’ land and a desire to keep wealthy households within the borough as attempts to kick-start the local economy gather pace.

The 10 sites, including five on the borders of the rural Ribble Valley, which is currently swamped with applications for housing developments, and five around Darwen, cover 1,198 acres of which 593 are ‘green belt’.

A meeting was held at Pleckgate High School on Monday night where more than 100 people against the proposals made their views known to planning officers.

Following the meeting a group was established to fight the proposals by people who said there was no demand for housing in the borough and that plans would devalue houses that were near the proposed sites.

Group spokesman Phil Hughes, a retired company director, said: “There are currently over 500 empty houses in Blackburn and 379 four bedroom houses that are for sale. There is no demand for the housing at all.

“I think whoever made the projection that these houses are needed must also believe in fairies. Not only that but having it earmarked for development now casts a shadow over the area for the next 15 years.”

The next meeting about the plans is a drop in session from 3.30pm to 7.30pm at Greenfield Community Centre on Friday.

Anyone who wishes to join the group can do so by e-mailing Phil on blackburnanddarwenfriends@ outlook.com.

Comments (6)

5:33pm Wed 20 Mar 13

woolywords says...

a group was established to fight the proposals by people who said there was no demand for housing in the borough..
Would that ignore all those people that are seeking a smaller home then or not?
NIMBY attitude if ever I saw it.
a group was established to fight the proposals by people who said there was no demand for housing in the borough.. Would that ignore all those people that are seeking a smaller home then or not? NIMBY attitude if ever I saw it. woolywords

8:11pm Wed 20 Mar 13

tajmahalovertheoldmarket says...

The Council don't in fact propose the building of small homes in these green belt areas because they think can't make enough money from them. The calculations behind this decision are all laid out in documents prepared by the Council, and available to public scrutiny. I agree that there is a NIMBY attitude, and would expect this - let's face it nobody likes change.

I read that Blackburn Rugby Club want to sell their land for this designated executive house building purpose so they can secure the Club's future. But does it really matter if their bit of land is filled in with houses along the ring road?

What the egos at the Council don't seem to appreciate is that who in their right mind would want to spend in excess of a quarter of a million pounds on a dwelling in Blackburn? Blackburn, the dump of a town, is on a perpetual slide like its football club. Attractive place to live for professionals it ain't. They're all headed for the Ribble Valley where the Council are having their own problems with developers wanting to build on the Green Belt.

Wake up and smell the coffee BwD Council!
The Council don't in fact propose the building of small homes in these green belt areas because they think can't make enough money from them. The calculations behind this decision are all laid out in documents prepared by the Council, and available to public scrutiny. I agree that there is a NIMBY attitude, and would expect this - let's face it nobody likes change. I read that Blackburn Rugby Club want to sell their land for this designated executive house building purpose so they can secure the Club's future. But does it really matter if their bit of land is filled in with houses along the ring road? What the egos at the Council don't seem to appreciate is that who in their right mind would want to spend in excess of a quarter of a million pounds on a dwelling in Blackburn? Blackburn, the dump of a town, is on a perpetual slide like its football club. Attractive place to live for professionals it ain't. They're all headed for the Ribble Valley where the Council are having their own problems with developers wanting to build on the Green Belt. Wake up and smell the coffee BwD Council! tajmahalovertheoldmarket

12:57am Thu 21 Mar 13

blackburnanddarwenfriends says...

Yes there is a touch of nimby involved I admit. I paid extra for a house because it had a view. The council are now telling me they are going to take away my view, build an "Excecutive House" and then they can sell it for more because he's got my view. Quite aside though, to answer the first comment, the council has no intention of building affordable houses!!!! They honestly believe that the can attract 4000 highly paid executives from the Ribble Valley and make fortunes. If any attempt was being made to address the problems of Blackburn ie, low cost housing,- repossesions and supplying amenities and services to the houses in this area which have been promised over years, then I certainly would not be involved in this campaign. Phil Hughes
Yes there is a touch of nimby involved I admit. I paid extra for a house because it had a view. The council are now telling me they are going to take away my view, build an "Excecutive House" and then they can sell it for more because he's got my view. Quite aside though, to answer the first comment, the council has no intention of building affordable houses!!!! They honestly believe that the can attract 4000 highly paid executives from the Ribble Valley and make fortunes. If any attempt was being made to address the problems of Blackburn ie, low cost housing,- repossesions and supplying amenities and services to the houses in this area which have been promised over years, then I certainly would not be involved in this campaign. Phil Hughes blackburnanddarwenfriends

1:06am Thu 21 Mar 13

happycyclist says...

blackburnanddarwenfr
iends wrote:
Yes there is a touch of nimby involved I admit. I paid extra for a house because it had a view. The council are now telling me they are going to take away my view, build an "Excecutive House" and then they can sell it for more because he's got my view. Quite aside though, to answer the first comment, the council has no intention of building affordable houses!!!! They honestly believe that the can attract 4000 highly paid executives from the Ribble Valley and make fortunes. If any attempt was being made to address the problems of Blackburn ie, low cost housing,- repossesions and supplying amenities and services to the houses in this area which have been promised over years, then I certainly would not be involved in this campaign. Phil Hughes
You 'bought' a view...? Get over yourself.
[quote][p][bold]blackburnanddarwenfr iends[/bold] wrote: Yes there is a touch of nimby involved I admit. I paid extra for a house because it had a view. The council are now telling me they are going to take away my view, build an "Excecutive House" and then they can sell it for more because he's got my view. Quite aside though, to answer the first comment, the council has no intention of building affordable houses!!!! They honestly believe that the can attract 4000 highly paid executives from the Ribble Valley and make fortunes. If any attempt was being made to address the problems of Blackburn ie, low cost housing,- repossesions and supplying amenities and services to the houses in this area which have been promised over years, then I certainly would not be involved in this campaign. Phil Hughes[/p][/quote]You 'bought' a view...? Get over yourself. happycyclist

1:33pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Veema. says...

Blackburn is a dump, it's a hole and no-one with any money would choose to live here. Do they seriously think that people who live in the Ribble Valley are going to want to come and live here? One of the only good things Blackburn has going for it, is that you can drive a few minutes out of the town and you are in beautiful countryside. But hey ho...lets ruin that too.

If Blackburn Council want to bring 'wealth' into the area, lets start by having a decent town centre that's not filled with pound shops and other cheap shops...lets make the arterial routes into Blackburn look smarter...there are some fantastic buildings that could be renovated to attract business and shoppers into the area.

And if they are hell bent on building houses, lets have the houses that people need. And lets stop building umpteen office blocks that sit empty for years on end and use those sites for affordable housing for those that need it and leave our countryside alone.
Blackburn is a dump, it's a hole and no-one with any money would choose to live here. Do they seriously think that people who live in the Ribble Valley are going to want to come and live here? One of the only good things Blackburn has going for it, is that you can drive a few minutes out of the town and you are in beautiful countryside. But hey ho...lets ruin that too. If Blackburn Council want to bring 'wealth' into the area, lets start by having a decent town centre that's not filled with pound shops and other cheap shops...lets make the arterial routes into Blackburn look smarter...there are some fantastic buildings that could be renovated to attract business and shoppers into the area. And if they are hell bent on building houses, lets have the houses that people need. And lets stop building umpteen office blocks that sit empty for years on end and use those sites for affordable housing for those that need it and leave our countryside alone. Veema.

9:12pm Sat 23 Mar 13

johndarwen says...

What differance can the group make after they have approved the planning permission?
What differance can the group make after they have approved the planning permission? johndarwen

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