A MAN who netted £100million when he sold his holiday business is backing plans for a holiday village in Blackburn.

John Morphet, who sold South Lakeland Caravans business to a private equity buyer for £100 million, said the development would be an "excellent" use of the site and will help the local community "get rid of an eyesore".

Manchester-based developers Castleland Ltd has submitted outline plans for Pleasington Lakes holiday village in Feniscowles will find out on September 18 whether the development will be given the go ahead.

Outline plans were submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council after they were unveiled in March.

A total of 112 acres of countryside between Broken Stone Road and the M65 would have 120 log cabins, five man-made lakes and the leisure facilities on the site will include a gymnasium, restaurant and café, if permission is granted on Tuesday.

John Morphet, who sold his business a year ago after 18 years, decided to speak out because he said he supported the scheme.

He said: "In my view it is an excellent use of the site and will help the local community get rid of an eyesore.

"It will provide superb new facilities for the local community and at the same time help bring in extra revenue for the whole of the town.

"Why not holiday in Blackburn?

"It doesn't really matter where you live in relation to the holiday village. It's the facilities Pleasington Lakes will offer which is the important thing. They will be the attraction.

"For some people just having the grass under their feet and the opportunity to have a barbecue at weekends will be good enough reason to have a cabin."

The development between Broken Stone Road and the M65 has also received backing from the Lancashire Economic Partnership, a body set up to promote economic growth in the area.

Mr Morphet added: "I have opened caravan parks and log cabins in many similar parts of the country and have found that many people buy them for all sorts of different reasons.

"Some people will buy them as extra accommodation or as a weekend retreat, others will use them as a place for family to stay when they are visiting the area.

"One of the biggest issues is that people are often afraid of the unknown.

"But I have looked at the plans and believe that Pleasington Lakes will be a high quality and much sought after park.

"It will bring new facilities to the area which will do nothing but good for the town."