TWO political rivals are both backing a campaign to bring a derelict bowling green back into use.

Jake Berry, Rossendale’s MP, and Will Straw, the Valley’s parliamentary candidate for Labour, are lending their support to residents’ calls for the disused green behind the Boars Head in Newchurch to be revamped.

It comes after a second unsuccessful bid by developers to build houses on the land, the most recent of which received 116 objections following concerns around the loss of open space and traffic safety.

Mr Berry, a Conservative MP, said: “I’m pleased that on this occasion the planning committee have seen sense and refused this application. “We need more homes in Rossendale, but there are plenty of brownfield sites that would be more suitable.

“We should be protecting our local green spaces and I hope to continue working with the Newchurch Village Residents’ Association to see what can be done to protect this site and bring it back into use as a bowling green for the local community.”

Would-be builders were told by councillors that the loss of an open space, used regularly by the local community, was unacceptable.

But bosses at Crystal Holdings insisted that the green has not been in active use since they acquired the site in September 2010.

Mr Straw said: "Now that their planning application has been rejected twice and withdrawn twice, it is time that the land owners work with community groups to restore Newchurch Bowling Green to its former glory.

“Quite simply, nothing short of reopening the bowling green and allowing the car park to be used by the community will be good enough."