HEALTH chiefs have warned of the pressure 130 new homes in Briercliffe would put on GP services.

Burnley Council’s development control committee will next week hear an application to build 130 homes on land north of Higher Saxifield Street, in Briercliffe.

The application - lodged with Burnley Council by Countryside Homes North West Ltd - would include a range of two to five-bedroom homes.

Committee members are recommended to grant delegated powers allowing head of housing Paul Gatrell to approve the development subject to a Section 106 agreement for cash towards education, affordable housing and open space provision.

But Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Groups have raised concerns about the impact if the development goes ahead.

A spokesman said: “The CCG is concerned about the additional pressure that approximately 305 patient registrations, based on an average 2.35 occupancy rate, will place upon GP practices in Burnley East and in particular, the Briercliffe Medical Practice which is within close proximity to the proposed development.

“Over the last 12 months this practice has undergone a complete change in terms of both its management and GP Practitioners which now requires a period of stability.

“However, should this development be approved then the CCG feel strongly that a section 106 agreement should be secured with the developer in order to contribute towards the capital costs relating to NHS services, that would enable the health infrastructure to be improved, as a direct response to easing the additional pressure on general practice that these additional patient registrations will place on the Briercliffe area.

A Burnley East Primary Care Network spokesman added: “We are concerned about the impact this development will have on Primary Care Services in Burnley East.

“Practices are already working at or beyond full capacity and have recently absorbed patients from the practice at Daneshouse which has closed.

“Briercliffe Surgery which is the closest to the proposed development is currently under a temporary caretaker contract and the future of the practice beyond April 2020 has yet to be determined by East Lancashire CCG.

“A sudden influx of several hundred new patients to our current collective list sizes represents a significant threat to our ability to provide quality medical care to the local population.”

The Council has received 100 letters objecting to the development from residents, while ward councillors Margaret Lishman and Anne Kelly have also objected.

Fears were raised about unacceptable access, traffic issues, lack of school places, flooding and over-development.

But in planning documents on behalf of Countryside Homes, agent Aldrock Ltd, said that a a full drainage strategy has been undertaken for the site and careful consideration has been made of the impact of surface water run-off.

While they said the development would provide a mix of housing that will fill the gap in the local area housing supply.

Planning documents added that the scheme would have little or no impact on roads in the area.