THE unexpected discovery of mineshafts on the route of a controversial £3.2million link road will make it a ‘highway to disaster’, claim its opponents.

They say the scheme through Darwen, aimed at opening up land on Bailey’s Field for the building of 350 homes, will be an ‘expensive white elephant’ because of the risk of mining subsidence from poorly-mapped 19th century pits.

They say the location of the workers’ site cabin has already had to be changed because it was originally planned on unstable land.

And the campaigners believe the risk of ground collapse into unknown shafts will put housing developers off building around the road.

Sudell ward’s Cllr Roy Davies, fellow Liberal Democrats and the borough council Tory group have long opposed the Darwen East Distributor Road project, dubbing it ‘The Road to Nowhere’.

Financed by a government grant, Blackburn with Darwen Council believes the scheme, now under way, is essential to attract developers to build homes in the area.

The scheme is a key part of its plans to build 9,400 homes including 4,000 executive-style properties by 2030.

Now Cllr Davies has been told by town hall planning staff that plans to locate the site cabin at either the Marsh House Lane or Ivinson Road end of the new road proved impossible because of previously ‘undiscovered mineshafts’.

He, his Liberal Democrat ward colleague on Darwen Town Council Paul Browne and Tory Cllr Neil Slater claim this proves the new road and associated ‘Darwen East Development Corridor’ will turn out to be a disastrous mistake.

Documents submitted to the planning department admit Bailey’s Field is in a ‘high risk area’ because of mining in two seams of coal at 110metres to 130metres last worked in 1913.

There are at least nine shafts near the link road and although The Coal Authority believes the risk of ground collapse is ‘very small’, it has warned the council that mine entries and shallow mine workings may pose a risk to public safety and ground stability of the proposed road development and would require further investigation.

In a letter to Cllr Davies, a planning official revealed: “I am informed that the position of the site cabin has been determined by the positions of the undiscovered mineshafts in relation to any roads that could service the compound.

“In respect of Marsh House Lane, the mineshaft sits directly in the line of any proposed compound access road.

“Ivinson Way was also considered. However, the need for extensive excavation to search for the shaft precluded the contractor from gaining access from that end of the new link.”

Now the cabin has been placed next to Ellison Fold Terrace leading to residents’ complaints about heavy lorry traffic, dirt and disturbance.

Council regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley said the scheme would still go ahead. He said the number if not exact location of mineshafts on the site was known and there was an agreed process for making them safe.

Cllr Davies said: “This proves what we have always said, the whole site is littered with mineshafts.

“If even the council doesn’t know where they are, what developer is going to build houses. Even if they do who is going to buy them?

“This is not just going to be a road to nowhere, it will be a highway to disaster.”

Marsh House ward’s Cllr Slater said: “The council is blinded by its desire to use the government’s grant to build this scheme.

“This shows once and for all it will be a road to nowhere as the housing will never be built.

“It will be an expensive white elephant.

“Once again Blackburn Labour’s folly will be Darwen’s ruin.”

Cllr Riley said: “The number of mineshafts is known but their precise location is not always clear.

“There is a process for capping the mineshafts agreed with the Coal Authority.

“While we are working on capping the mineshaft next to Marsh House Lane, the site office and access will be next to Ellison Fold Terrace temporarily.”

Cllr Browne said: “The council has been warned about this for 30 years and this road will be a waste of taxpayers money.”