THE leader of Pendle Council has launched a scathing attack on a property developer for failing to provide children's play areas on a proposed housing estate.

Dalesmoor Homes Ltd want to build 19 houses on the site of the Colne anodising mill in Keighley Road, Laneshawbridge.

Normally, developers are asked by the council to pay for play facilities but Pendle Council ruled this was unnecessary when permission for the development was given in principle in October last year.

Although the council ordered the company to pay £22,800 for facilities when it gave full planning permission earlier this year, the developer does not have to pay for a play area because it applied for permission under so-called Reserved Matters.

This means the authority cannot enforce any new planning conditions after initial outline permission was granted.

The application, which was approved at Colne and District Committee, is for 19 properties on the site of an old mill, which would be demolished.

Coun Alan Davies said the developer had destroyed any chance of creating goodwill in the community by using a technicality loophole to avoid paying for the play area.

He said: "The children who are likely to live on that development could have had a play area and this is an appalling way to treat them. This is very galling because we cannot do anything about it, but I can't see how the developer will get good will in the village, especially as a number of people do not want it.The whole thing stinks but we had no choice but to approve it."

Sales and marketing manager for Lancaster-based Dalesmoor Homes said: "This was nothing to do with trying to duck out of any payments, we are merely following the due planning process."