A SINGLE mum and her family may be allowed to stay permanently in a Slaidburn holiday home after planning chiefs agreed to discuss their plight further.

Pam Breaks, who lives at Robinsons Cottage, Easington Road, works on the shooting estate in Easington Road.

She has lived in her home for almost a year and only discovered it had holiday let status when she registered with Ribble Valley Borough Council to pay council tax.

But the council's planning committee had been advised to reject proposals by the people who run the estate, to change the status of the property, built in 1997 and adjacent to a farmhouse and converted barn.

However, they voted to defer their decision so further consultations could be carried out.

Ms Breaks said: "I've lived here with my two children for about a year and it would be a shame if we had to leave. It's a lovely place and I never realised it was a holiday let.

"We would like to stay as the children love the area but the houses we could afford need a lot of work doing to them."

She added: "Robinsons Cottage itself needed a lot of attention until the owners did it up, so hopefully we will be able to sort something out with the council."

Recommending the application be rejected, planning officer John Macholc said: "The applicant feels the retention of a holiday let is no longer feasible and that the business plan for the estate will be adversely affected if it is retained as holiday accommodation, as the income is variable and uncertain. As a dwelling it is more reliable and generally more substantial."

The committee heard that Ms Breaks would now have to find somewhere else to live.

John Macholc added: "Although I sympathise with the personal plight of the existing occupiers, it is evident that they are in breach of planning conditions and I remain of the opinion that approval to allow this holiday let as a residential dwelling would be clearly contrary to established policies within the Districtwide Local Plan."

Speaking on behalf of the owners, Mr and Mrs Peter and Victoria Wheeler, town planning consultant Janet Dixon said the committee "sometimes had difficulty putting people before policy". She suggested the condition of four-week occupancy be removed and a review of the circumstances be reviewed annually.

Mrs Dixon added: "The Wheelers are requesting that the people factor be put back into this planning decision."

Coun Rosemary Elms said: "The present occupier is local to the area and currently works on the estate. If possible, I would like to see the alteration of the conditions to ensure that local employment can be kept."

She added: " Rural areas are needing more support than ever at the moment and this area has a lack of affordable housing."

Coun Harry Backhouse said: "The problem with holiday cottages is that they are very difficult to police. In this case, the occupiers quite rightly applied to pay council tax only to find their property was a holiday cottage and they should only have stayed for four weeks."

In response, John Macholc said: "This is a difficult decision, but we must stick to planning policy. It is wrong to say we would not be setting a precedent for future similar applications."

"Planning permission was given in 1996 to extend the farmhouse at Robinsons Cottage with a two-storey extension to replace existing outbuildings.

"A year later an application was submitted by Mr and Mrs Wheeler for holiday let accommodation to separate it from the farmhouse, which the council granted on the specific grounds that it was not used by a person or a group of people for more than four weeks at a time."

"The Wheelers estate is used during the shooting season for several months of year, which is why holiday let status was applied for."

He added: "The current resident is employed by the estate, but I am concerned that every time an argument is put forward that revenue generated from holiday lets is variable, and that more money can be made from it being a permanent dwelling, it could have repercussions throughout the borough."

Mr and Mrs Wheeler were not available to comment.