A COUNCILLOR has launched a stinging attack on his own council saying plans to extend a nearby college display a ‘complete lack of transparency’.

A planning application put forward by Burnley College seeks to build a new campus on Princess Way, affecting residents of Daneshouse, Stoneyholme and Clifton Street – with large swathes of greenery and a recreation ground set to be built if passed.

Trinity ward Cllr Andy Fewings, of the Green Party at Burnley Council, is ‘furious’ that the plans have seemingly ‘come out of the blue’ and that no councillors, nor nearby residents, had been consulted about proposals for a three-phase development of the area.

However Burnley Council said ‘appropriate consultation’ with ward councillors is under way.

The plans set out the wish to construct three educational buildings, an access road from the college car park, a five-a-side pitch and a replacement bridge to provide vehicular access from Holme Road.

He said: “On Friday 11 June I received a message from a Clifton Street resident saying they’d spoken to someone on the site who’d said they were closing it to do works. This was the first I’d heard of it.

"As a ward councillor, I hadn’t been consulted at all. So, my big issue is that this just seems to have come out of the blue to both the elected councillors that represent the area, and the residents of Clifton Street, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme, who use the space as a recreation ground.

“I’ve got huge concerns about the complete lack of transparency from the council with residents and the elected councillors for the area. What has been lost in all of this, is that the site is actually owned by the council. The application is just one aspect of the issue here. Burnley College put the application in, and that’s what they plan to do.

“Now, other councillors from other areas who are possibly in the ruling group, which is a coalition between Labour and the Liberal Democrats, say that they’ve not heard of it either and that they are against it.”

Cllr Fewings reiterated his long-standing support for the college’s ambition to expand, but ‘cannot and will not’ support them taking green space away from residents.

He added: “There is a site of 5,500sqm literally adjacent to the college, that is up for sale on derelict land that could use a bit of regeneration. Why not put the new campus there instead?

“We’ve also got a purpose-built education facility that recently closed standing empty, so to take away green spaces, I’m very concerned that this is just the easy option because they can build on it more cheaply.”

A Burnley Council spokesperson said: “In line with council procedures, a decision will be made by the development control committee on the proposals, taking into account all material matters.

“The site is allocated in the Burnley Local Plan for employment and education uses. The local plan was approved in 2018 following extensive local consultation on site allocations and an ‘examination in public’ by an independently appointed planning inspector.

“Appropriate consultation with ward councillors is taking place in accordance with council procedures.”

The consultation period is due to end on July 1.