Hyndburn residents want ex-colliery land set aside for housing

1:40pm Saturday 27th February 2010

By Emma Cruces

RESIDENTS desperate to protect greenbelt are campaigning to transform ‘eyesore scrubland’ into a new housing estate.

Huncoat councillors Paul Gott and Dave Parkins are appealing to planners at Hyndburn to look at allocating land for up to 400 houses at former colliery land between the railway and the M65, instead of under-theat football pitches and woodland.

Residents and councillors believe the site, known as ‘pit top’, is wrongly classed as greenbelt as the site still has the footprints of old buildings and roads and has no vegetation.

Councillors think the land should be used for 400 new homes that Hyndburn will need to provide in the area in coming years, instead of open fields surrounding Spothouse Woodland.

The colliery site has been flagged to planners as an alternative by residents who want to protect ‘virgin green fields’, which are earmarked as suitable for a similar development.

It is hoped that a ‘land swap’ in the borough’s upcoming 15-year planning document will see the colliery land regenerated while sports pitches and Spout House woodland will be protected from development.

Residents, including children from Bolton Avenue, who signed a 3,000-strong petition to protect the fields, have been told an alternative site for housing must be found to meet development quotas.

Coun Gott said: “Designating the colliery land for housing would see a terrible eyesore regenerated. At the moment it has no use except for the occasional quad bike. It’s right by the station, so it’s perfect for commuters.

“Any housing there would also have a wonderful view of the Trough of Bowlnad and Pendle Hill. Most importantly it would protect our valuable open space.”

The issue was raised at Hyndburn’s full council meeting on Wednesday when Huncoat councillors urged their colleagues to vote for immediate protection of the pitches and fields.

However, Council leader Peter Britcliffe urged the council to instead set up a working group to investigate in detail: “I am offering to set up a working group that will be sympathetic to your request.

"We need detailed plans for where the houses would go if we were to swap the land allocation.”

A decision based on the working group’s report is expected to be made at the end of March.