THE Ribble Valley has East Lancashire's highest property prices and this poses big problems for local youngsters who want to live and work in the area where they grew up.

Getting on to the property ladder is very difficult when commuters attracted by pretty villages and rural landscapes move in and push prices up.

Farming is the traditional backbone of the Ribble Valley economy and the government has recognised the problem of accommodation for low paid farm employees by allowing relaxation of normal planning regulations when property is being developed for agricultural workers.

So Jack Wearden expected some support for his plan to convert a barn on his Whalley farm into a house for his son so that he could help him with 620 cattle scattered across East Lancashire. But the scheme was refused after advice from the Rural Estates Office and Jack, who works 100 hours a week, believes it was because not enough cattle from his huge herd are actually in Whalley itself.

No one would dispute the need to stop farmers attempting to evade planning regulations and make a fast buck by building expensive homes on green field sites.

But the plight of Jack Wearden, whose wife is blind, seems obvious and as MP Nigel Evans says, flexibility is called for. The Rural Estates Office should give a proper public explanation of its decision.