A FARMER'S bid to create a holiday village has been left in limbo - because he failed to carry out a search for Great Crested Newts.

Steve Taylor has been left fearing for the future of his farm - and claimed no one told him the survey was needed.

But Ribble Valley Council insisted he was told about the need for a search, which has to be done during newts' mating season - between March and June.

Mr Taylor, who has run Edmondson Farm, Alston Lane, Longridge, for nearly 20 years, has worked with Ribble Valley Council for more than a year on the plans.

But he said he was told just days before a planning meeting that the proposal was recommended for refusal.

He wanted to build eight holiday chalets around a new fishing lake on his land, enabling him to stabilise his farm business -- which was severely affected by foot and mouth and the BSE disease outbreaks.

But Ribble Valley Council refused permission because there is a 'possibility' of Great Crested Newts - a European protected species - being present on the land.

Mr Taylor said: "In December, experts came round and spent five hours looking for the presence of the newts or newt faeces. On the basis of that, done in pouring rain, they said there might be a possibility of newts being present.

"The council has known since then, but only told me a couple of days before the meeting it wanted a proper survey done.

"Now I have to wait until next March and I won't know if I can do this scheme until next August. It's cost me £6,000 to get this far, and I'm stuck in limbo.

"I want to pass on a sustainable farming business to my children. They aren't interested in earning £70 a week from traditional farming. Everyone talks about diversification, but the council is really unhelpful."

John Welbank, from rural development agency Rural Futures, has been helping Mr Taylor with his bid. He said: "Diversification is essential for farms today and Mr Taylor has done everything right."

Mike Kirkby, forward planning manager for Ribble Valley Council, insisted: "The presence of a European protected species would be a material consideration and, in the absence of full information, we cannot give consent because we do not know the impact the development would have."

Eight letters of objection had been received about the scheme.