BIG changes in planning rules could be on the way for a rural borough ‘bulging at the seams with housing applications’.

Ribble Valley Council is looking at cutting its government-approved target for new homes.

It is also considering a flat-rate tax on the floorspace of fresh applications to build luxury properties.

Although Ribble Valley has the lowest population density of any borough in Lancashire, at 101 people per square kilometre, its council leader said four-fifths of its land could not be built on.

Cllr Ken Hind added: “Ribble Valley has a problem in that developers want to build here.

"There are good schools, low crime, beautiful scenery and good quality of life.

“The industrial towns of East Lancashire have the infrastructure but low demand for housing and we are the opposite - high demand with groaning infrastructure such as roads and demand for school places, GP surgeries and transport."

“Ribble Valley is bulging at the seams with housing applications.

“Some 80 per cent of the borough is either undevelopable moorland or, in the case of the Trough of Bowland and Pendle Hill, protected for its outstanding natural beauty.”

David Hinder, secretary of Ribble Valley Labour Party, said the borough’s Tory administration had only itself to blame for many of the problems after taking too long to develop its ‘core strategy’ for development, finally approved in December 2014.

Cllr Hind said the council was reviewing the planning blueprint to cut its target for new houses from a minimum 280 annually to 172.

It is also examining imposing a Community Infrastructure Levy on all new houses, other than affordable properties.

It would mean developers paid a fixed sum per square metre over 100 square metres per eligible house towards school places, roads, pavements, parks and other public assets."

Cllr Hind said: “This would be a simpler system than negotiating special agreements for infrastructure improvements.”

He said that between December 2008 and October 2017, 2,011houses had been completed, and another 3,945 granted planning permission, of which 445 are under construction.

Cllr Hind said: “The market is in danger of being saturated particularly in Whalley, Clitheroe and Longridge.

“A huge proportion of the borough’s housing development is restricted to the A59 corridor.”

Mr Hinder said: “We have been urging the council to use the levy for more than two years so they are a bit late.”

“Their delays in producing a viable Core Strategy have contributed to these problems.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley said: “There are welcome signs that developers who once would have built in the Ribble Valley are now choosing to come here."

“It seems that commuting to work in the borough are now considering living here as well.”