CONTROVERSIAL developer Gerald Hitman has had plans to build more houses in his luxurious Ribble Valley village kicked out by furious councillors.

Mr Hitman, who has been creating the plush complex since the mid-1990s, had wanted to create two apartment blocks, each with 12 flats, and 14 'live/work' units.

In Mr Hitman's scheme, submitted by his Brockhall Village Limited company, the 'live/work' units were made up of large houses - ranging from three to five bedrooms - with a separate office/workshop alongside.

Homes in the area are currently selling for up to £500,000.

In the planning submission to Ribble Valley Council, the project - which also included a swimming pool, complete with sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and sun terrace to be built for use of the residents in the walled village, along with a village hall - was described as the completion of the village.

But councillors rejected the scheme after hearing it would encroach further on to the land earmarked within Brockhall for employment.

When planning permission was first granted in 1994 - for the redevelopment and re-use of Brockhall Hospital to form a mixed village - it was on the grounds it mixed employment with residential schemes.

That planning permission was revised in 1999 to provide for more housing, eating away at the employment part of the site.

The latest application took away more employment-reserved land for the 'live/work units' on the grounds that Brockhall Village Ltd could not find firms wanting to move there. They did, however, insist that the units would create 50 jobs.

But local councillor Graham Sowter said: "It makes no sense to tie in 14 very large and very expensive properties to very little employment."