A CAMPAIGN to protect areas of architectural interest in the Southfield area of Nelson and prevent any more development has been started by residents and councillors, who are pushing for conservation area status.

The Nelson Committee looks likely to approve the move and to ask the executive to designate the Southfield, Nelson Conservation Area, subject to comments received from a consultation.

A public meeting was held in November last year when residents met the council's conservation officer and drew up a case for a conservation area, with help from a local town planner.

The group contacted local councillors and made a presentation to the April Nelson Committee.

Some residents objected and expressed concern about the lack of consultation so an official consultation was undertaken, the results of which will be brought to the next meeting on July 1.

Ward councillor Sonia Robinson said: "Local residents are really keen to have a conservation area and I have been encouraging them to write letters to the council explaining their reasons.

"There are some farmers who don't believe it is going to be much benefit to them.

"I think it is an extremely good idea because of the fact that we are under a regeneration scheme and the government is demanding that we allocate greenfield sites for development, which they are already doing in Pendle. We don't want to see it progress any further in Southfield.

"We need to conserve some of the lovely land we still have. The site has a lovely outlook, picnic areas and a quarry that could be made better use of. The whole area is beautiful and we don't want to expand any more building work into that area."

Rosemary Leeming, of Mount Pleasant, said there were people for and against the idea.

She added: "I think parts of the area need doing because we need something to bring it back to how it used to be. The area has gone downhill recently. I attended the public meeting about the proposed conservation area and quite a lot of people seemed to be for it.

"It could be a good thing but unless it can stop the fly tipping and bring the area back to how it used to be, people aren't going to come up to walk in the countryside."

If the area is designated, the council would then consider the enhancement of the area focusing on historic buildings, tree and woodland conservation and planting and footpath access.