THE occupants of rented flats for NHS key workers on a new housing estate will be chosen by the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, senior councillors have been assured.

The pledge was given by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley as the borough’s executive board approved the sale of the land opposite the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital for the development.

The estate will have 150 family homes for sale and 150 apartments for key workers at the hospital and its Burnley General counterpart.

As the meeting approved the sale of the two parcels of land for the scheme, Conservative group leader Cllr John Slater questioned how the flats would be allocated.

He said: “I like the idea but how can we make sure that they are key workers that are eligible for these houses and not just anyone?

"Are there going to be some strategic criteria for it or are we just saying it’s a wish list?”

Cllr Riley said: “We’re working with the hospital and it will be the hospital and ourselves who will place people in the key worker ones. Obviously this particular proposal is mixed tenure so some of the site is obviously just housing for purchase. The key workers ones will be managed by the hospital.”

Council finance boss Cllr Vicky McGurk said: “We know that we need to attract key workers into the NHS as we’ve got a severe lack of nurses at the moment. This will absolutely help fill those vacancies here in Blackburn with Darwen. I really welcome this news. That land can sometimes attract anti-social behaviour.”