A BOROUGH'S Conservatives are calling on a local authority to abandon its planning blueprint because it allocates to much green space to housing and commercial developments.

Two Tory politicians have tabled a motion for debate to Wednesday evening's full meeting of Burnley Council.

The proposed resolution entitled 'Opposition to the Local Plan' has been tabled by Whittlefield with Ightenhill ward's Cllr Don Whitaker and seconded by his group leader Cllr Alan Hosker who represents Hapton with Park ward.

It calls for development blueprint to be scrapped and more previously developed 'brownfield' land to be used instead and more empty houses brought back into use.

The motion reads: "The Burnley Local Plan, brought in by the Labour administration in 2018, has seen significant amounts of our green spaces allocated to housing developments in spite of the strong objections of local residents and the significant number of vacant houses in the borough.

"This has included land off Red Lees Road where 125 homes are now being built, fields behind Smithyfield Avenue and Rossendale Road allocated to housing, and several new industrial units proposed for our green spaces rather than on brownfield land.

"This council therefore resolves that the Burnley Local Plan as it is currently constituted does not command the support of residents within the borough.

"This council should work with the government in their proposed planning reforms to ensure that any new development prioritises disused and/or empty properties within the borough and utilises brownfield

land wherever possible."