A BUILDING company constructing nearly 200 homes in a new development in Colne has come under fire for allegedly causing undue disturbance to neighbours.

People living near the Deerwood Park site, off Knotts Drive, are angry at what they claim are problems with work starting too early, noise and lorries.

The company, Persimmon Homes, said it would send representatives to a meeting a councillor is trying to set up.

Cllr Joe Cooney, the new county councillor for Pendle Central, is calling for talks for complaints to be thrashed out.

Some 182 homes are due to be built at the site, with only about a dozen finished so far. Work is not supposed to start before 8am.

Cllr Cooney said: "Several residents have contacted me with issues about the development, with work starting as early as 7am and even earlier at the weekend.

"While we appreciate it's a building site, the work must be done in line with the permission granted.

"Despite repeated attempts by Pendle Council officers to find a solution Persimmon hasn't been willing to meet its responsibilities."

It is hoped that the meeting will take place in early July, before the next meeting of Pendle's Colne area committee.

Cllr Cooney said work had been going on at the site for about 18 months and the potential for more disturbance was great as so many more homes remained to be built.

He added: "There is still a long way to go. We are trying to get round the table with the developer.

"What is happening there is not conducive to good relations. The firm needs to be more considerate."

A 15-year battle raged over plans to build homes on the land before Persimmon gained planning permission in July 2015. A scheme was refused on appeal in 2002 and again in 2012.

A spokesman for Persimmon said: "No formal request from the council has yet been received but we would be pleased to meet officers if they would like to contact us direct.

"All sub-contractors working on this development have been reminded of the operating times for the site.

"We are not aware of construction traffic using the wrong access to the site but if residents do see this happening we would ask them to report it to us."