AN ‘extraordinary’ coun-cil meeting will be called to discuss plans to sell the Lyndon House Playing Fields in Great Harwood in the face of increasing pressure from the community.

Under the proposal, Reilly Developments Ltd would buy 7.6 acres of the playing fields to add to its 10 acres of adjacent land to build between 200 and 250 houses.

They would pay the council a ‘substantial sum’ in addition to giving them land at Heymoor Farm off Whalley Road on the town’s outskirts.

This would enable the borough to transfer Great Harwood Rovers Football Club’s lease from Lyndon House to the new site and allow the club to build new facilities on the site. The Great Harwood Agri-cultural Show would then swap a meadow adjoining the Balfour Street playing fields for land owned by Reilly’s at Heymoor Farm.

The plans have proved controversial, with angry residents opposed to the scheme bombarding cou-ncillors with emails.

More than 270 people have signed a petition opposing the plans, addressed to the chief executive of Hyndburn Council, David Welsby.

“Save our community field on Harwood Lane from being sold for the development of hundreds of houses,” the petition reads.

“Don’t let our com-munity lose the only flat, open green area we have in our town. Hundreds of houses will engulf our already over-subscribed local services and increase traffic around the town.”

Deputy council leader Paul Cox said: “The meeting has been called to review all the information and objections. There’s always going to be a certain amount of upset with situations like this. We held an open meeting in Great Har-wood last week to give residents the opportunity to express concerns.

The date for the extra-ordinary meeting has yet to be announced.

To view the petition, visit www.gopetition.com/petitions/saveourcommunityfield.html