CAMPAIGNERS fighting developers wanting to build 360 homes on ‘The Rough’ in Colne are celebrating after the plans were rejected.

The Colne and District Committee unanimously threw out two separate proposals for 90 and 270 homes on the land east of Windermere Avenue.

More than 100 residents packed into Colne Municipal Hall to see councillors vote on the controversial proposals.

The committee heard representations from the applicants Junction Property Ltd, as well as those opposing the proposals including the Lidgett and Beyond group and Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson.

Refusal of the plans was met with applause and cheers from the audience on Thursday.

Mr Stephenson said: “There was a lot of emotion in the air, as there was at the last meeting we had in April where a decision was deferred.

“Whilst there was a lot of emotion, there were also a lot of valid points raised by the speakers against these applications. The landowner and applicant was right to say that a decision had to be made on facts and not just emotion but I think that was done on Thursday night.

“I hope now that the members of the development management committee back up this decision and also vote to refuse this unsuitable application.”

The fate of the proposals by Junction Property Ltd to construct a sprawling new estate will now be sealed at the next meeting of the Pendle Borough Council’s development management committee on Wednesday, May 27, which will have the final say on the applications.

The applications are the first attempt to construct houses on the site since 1999 when a plan for 78 dwellings was rejected.

In the preceding six years, further proposals for 87 and 78 houses were also thrown out.

A spokesman for the Lidgett and Beyond group told the meeting that a new estate would have a massive effect on the local area and consequences for traffic and local infrastructure.

Resident John Hartley, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, said: “These applications would worsen the legacy we leave for future generations.”

Cllr Tony Greaves said: “I can’t believe that the developers think that this development would not have an effect on transport and that we would not notice the difference.

“If you drive down Albert Road, there is not a weekday that goes by without it being blocked.”