APPROVING plans to knock down eight houses and replace them with five homes would breach national and local planning policies, an objector has claimed.

Billionaire Euro Garages brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa are involved with an application for five homes on Billinge End Road, Blackburn, which was submitted in April, proposing to knock down eight houses.

But resident Ian Woolley, who has lived in the area for more than 50 years, urged Blackburn with Darwen Council planning bosses to reject the plans as they stand. He claims the application as it is falls foul of the council’s local plan, as well as the government’s national planning policy framework.

Mr Woolley said: “These houses are objectionable in this area because they are so big, being over 1500 square metres, when all other executive houses in this area are approximately no more than 500 square metres and over 4.5 metres taller than other houses because they have an extra floor. They will look monstrously big.

“It is also objectionable that the houses are identical in external appearance when they could each have a very attractive individual external appearance, even if internally they all had the same facilities.

“This is totally out of character as all the other executive houses in this area are individually architect-designed and are laid out with plenty of valuable mature garden space between them.

“The plans submitted look like a long, monotonous row of houses squeezed together. The plans must surely be revised so that local residents would be pleased to welcome what could be a most prestigious development. Residents should be able to rely on planners and councillors to protect us from plans which do not comply.” A design and access statement submitted as part of the planning application reads: “The existing dwellings are all early 20th century with no distinguished architectural merit in varying styles.

“The scale of the proposed dwellings are slightly larger than that of the existing dwellings however they are fewer in numbers, this allows for more spacious positioning across the site.

“The form and massing of the properties are traditional in their layouts; a central entrance hall and stair connects two wings of the dwelling at ground floor. Recesses and bays have been utilised to create an interesting elevation.

“The layout has been informed by the clients brief and its intended use as a large family home centred around social family gatherings.”

It is expected the plan will go before the council’s planning and highways committee on September 20.