PLANNING members are once again being asked to approve controversial plans for nine new homes in a rural Darwen site.

Last month Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning and highways committee deferred a decision on the proposals at land next to Moorthorpe Cottage off Park Road in the town, citing concerns over the impact on wildlife as well as insufficient access.

But a new report to go before the committee next week says after further investigation, council officers remain convinced proposed access to the site is good enough for the development to go ahead.

Residents living nearby the proposed development raised a number of concerns with the council as part of a consultation, with more than 40 letters of objection received.

Among the issues raised were insufficient access and poor visibility on surrounding roads, as well as potential damage to the habitat of any wildlife near the proposed development.

Clare Starbuck, who spoke on behalf of residents opposing the development at the previous meeting, said access to the development site from Park Road would be a problem and added hard landscaping proposals would see the removal of valuable flora and fauna, as well as protected species, from the area.

Planning officer Nick Blackledge said in a report to the committee: "The width of the road was re-assessed by officers at a site visit undertaken on June 4.

"The principle width between the gate posts is recorded at 3.7 metres in accordance with the measurement represented in May’s report.

"The narrowest point between the overhang at the top of the gate posts is circa 3.5m.

"The width of the road thereafter varies between a minimum of 3.9m and a maximum of 4.7m, up to the 90 degree turn that leads into the confines of Moorthorpe Cottage.

"The ‘sweep’ at the turn is measured at a maximum of 6.9m, narrowing to 5.9m between the gate post at Moorthorpe and the kerb edge.

"Measurements thereafter, taken across the width at 10m intervals, establish a minimum of 3.7m and a maximum of 4.6m.

"The Manual for Streets publication advocates a minimum width of 4.1m for 2 cars to pass side by side on a straight road.

"The volume of additional traffic is considered to be manageable, regardless, of the narrowest 3.9m width of the access road up to the 90 degree turn, given that this measurement is present at only a single 5m interval in a total of 32 intervals measured.

"A passing point is, however, proposed in relatively close proximity to this length of the access, just beyond the entrance into Belthorpe which isconsidered to alleviate the threat of excessive vehicular passing conflict within this stretch of the access."