A PROPOSAL to demolish an old worker's cottage and replace it with a three-storey detached house has been thrown out by councillors.

Under the plan, a derelict stone cottage at the Ridge, in Slaidburn Road, Grindleton, would have been bulldozed and replaced with a T-shaped house with a paved driveway and turning area.

Ribble Valley planning committee rejected the plan after raising concerns about the visual impact of such a large scheme. Judith Douglas, a chartered town planner, told this week's meeting that the plan represented a 132 per cent increase in the size of the building.