WYRE Borough Council have been accused of ignoring the local plan for the future of Thornton by approving a development of 525 homes at Poolfoot Farm.

This meant that local residents would not have a chance to have their say, Mr Howard Phillips, chairman of Thornton Action Group told a public meeting at Thornton Lecture Hall.

But now the government had called in the application for a public inquiry, the public would be able to speak out.

An audience of 200 gave unanimous support for the action group's campaign of opposition.

Mr Phillips said that residents should pack the council chamber this month when the action group presented its evidence to the inquiry.

"Let's show the planning inspector that the people of Thornton are deeply upset about what is happening to their community."

He said that although planning guidance recommended that 60 per cent of new homes should be on brownfield sites, of the 1,000 properties already being built in Thornton only 33 were on a brownfield site.

The action group recently carried out a survey among new homes which showed that 74 per cent of residents travelled outside the borough to work. Mr Phillips said that this was evidence that employment in the area didn't justify the housing.

The group will point to traffic problems on the A585 Thornton exit road which was at saturation point at peak times. It is claimed that the Poolfoot development will add another 4,000 traffic movements per day.