Colne land earmarked for M65 extension could become homes (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Colne land earmarked for M65 extension could become homes

4:50pm Sunday 7th March 2010 in

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LAND once mothballed for an extension to the M65 could become the site of a new affordable homes project on the edge of Colne.

Terraces including Bankfield Street and Hargreaves Street, in the hamlet of Greenfield, were bulldozed as negotiations rumbled on for the trans-Pennine route to Keighley.

But in March 1996 the scheme, which had been on the drawing board for 25 years and blighted homes in Winewall and Colne’s South Valley, was finally ditched.

Today Lancashire County Council still own swathes of the proposed route, from junction 14 to Primet Bridge, and Pendle Council has various holdings nearby, including allotments.

Now a joint deal drafted by borough regeneration company PEARL2, also involving Housing Pendle and the borough council, could breathe new life into Greenfield.

Blueprints have been drawn up for a mixture of social and general housing at the Bunkers Hill end, after a government moratorium on housebuilding was lifted last October.

Coun Tony Greaves, housing cabinet member, who represents Colne’s Waterside ward, said that the plans had been brought forward because of the ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ of PEARL2’s board but could be slightly premature.

“It is a development led by Housing Pendle for a mixed development of affordable housing, with some for sale, some for rent, and others for 50-50 ownership,” he added.

But the potential sale of Pendle Council’s assets in the area has not been universally welcomed in the Pendle town.

Coun Graham Roach, a fellow Waterside councillor, said: “I do not think we should sell off this land as it serves as a barrier between Boundary Mill and Bunkers Hill.

“It will destroy a lot of trees and the wildlife and deer in that field. It is a great asset to Colne and should be kept.”

Council planning and conservation officers have also expressed concerns regarding the loss of open space and wildlife habitats.

The area committee has agreed to the housing plan ‘in principle’ but called for further talks on what form the final scheme should take.