PLANS drawn up by developers and campaigners for the controversial former Lea Bank School site in Rawtenstall have been received by the council.

Campaigners have battled to protect the site for many years but planning permission was granted to Hurstwood Developments in 2001 for housing.

Now amended plans have been submitted to Rossendale Council to turn the site into apartments, to refurbish the existing building to turn it into executive homes, as well as the creation of a woodland visitor centre.

Despite their past differences, the Lea Bank Group and Hurstwood held talks and decided to work together on the design of the site.

The discussions, which began in July last year, included a promise by Hurstwood Developments to donate the area of woodland to the new Lea Bank Charitable Trust.

Stuart McCloskey, chairman of the Lea Bank Group, said: "The key thing is that the old house is retained. The planning application that was approved by the council in 2001 called for internal gutting of the house. While this one changes the nature of the building it largely doesn't change the exterior of the house at all and a lot of the internal features could be saved.

"One of the challenges with these wonderful old buildings is how to bring them back into useful use. The development is restricted around the house and the two lodges so it means thatthe vastmajority of the estate, about 60 to 70 per cent, would be returned to the community.

"From most of the solutions in the past the best we could have hoped for was to have public access to the woodland whereas now we would have the ability to do something with the woodland.

"By setting up a charitable trust we now have access to apply for funding to improve the quality of the woodland, to check on species in there and perhaps introduce new local species and improve the pathways so that it could have disabled access.

"The first step was getting the plans submitted. If it is approved we would need the involvement of the community as volunteer wardens or to get involved in clean-up projects. it would be nice if the local schools and groups got involved too."

Stephen Ashworth, managing director of Hurstwoods, said: "It has always been our intention to create a development that is one of the most desirable in the region.

"Our proposals will transform this derelict and vacant site into a prestigious development of houses and apartments and all the existing buildings are being retained and refurbished."