RESIDENTS of a village have called for a series of improvements to a proposed new housing estate on a moorland eyesore site.

West Pennine ward councillor Neil Slater attended Blackburn with Darwen planning committee on Thursday as it approved the detailed planning application for the 72 homes on the site of the Vernon Carus Mill near Hoddlesden.

He said 65 village residents had asked him to make a series of requests to the committee for additions to any approval of the Kingswood Homes scheme.

Cllr Slater said they wanted better street lighting, more grit bins, the installation of doggy bins for canine excrement, a zebra crossing on Johnson New Road and improvements to the footpath round the site to the local primary school.

Kingswood Homes also submitted an amendment to their plans for the flats in the apartment block on the estate.

Instead of 13 with two bedrooms and a single one-bedroomed flat, it will now have 10 flats with two bedrooms and four with one.

In addition there will be two semi-detached three-bedroomed houses, 12 detached three-bedroomed houses, and 39 detached homes with four bedrooms and five detached five-bedroomed houses.

A report to councillors recommended approval despite 65 objections.

Cllr Slater told the meeting that residents wanted better street lighting 'because it was very dark at night' on the West Pennine Moors and the doggie bins because the area was much used by dog walkers and it was easier to get them installed when the new housing was built than added later.

He said that the current path around the Carus Mill site was in poor condition and needed repair so children at the school could use it more easily and safely.

Andrea Fortune from Kingswood Homes promised to take Cllr Slater's requests into account in the final design of the scheme but said the footpath was not in its ownership.

She said: "The site has been vacant for a long, long time. It could be beautiful.

We've tried to make it the best possible scheme. We want to develop good quality housing."

Blackburn with Darwen Council planning manager Gavin Prescott said Kingswood and his officers would seek to come to a deal with the private landowner of much to the footpath to upgrade it.

Committee chairman Cllr Dave Smith promised Cllr Slater that the expected second phase of the housing scheme would also be considered by the committee.

He said: "This is an excellent scheme. The site has been derelict for a long time"

The new estate was approved unanimously.