FURIOUS residents who live in newly built homes near Ewood Park are accusing developers of shifting the goalposts over plans to build further houses in the area.

Householders who live on the Oakdale development off the A666 have mounted a campaign to persuade councillors to turn down a bid by Maunders Homes to build several town houses on the estate.

Maunders have already been given the permission in principle to build homes on the site, having told the council they wanted to create 16 four-bedroom detached properties worth up to £78,000.

But Maunders have now submitted an application in which they say they want to build 20 town houses instead.

More than 100 residents have now signed a petition opposing the re-drawn scheme, saying the building of town houses will devalue the worth of their own homes.

Cravens Heath resident Christine Roberts, said: "I know it sounds like snobbery but we were told this was going to be a select area. But now we are told that Maunders want to build town houses, with the possibility of them being sold to a housing association.

"This was advertised as a select area which is why people moved here. There are now a lot of very concerned people as a result of this new application."

Maunders spokeswoman Tina Smith said: "The area we are talking about is tacked on to the end of a cul-de-sac. The original planning consent was for three-bed houses and there will still be some of those.

"But our aim is to attract young professionals as we believe there is a shortage of homes for those people in the Blackburn area. "I have been consulting with residents and have given them assurances that there will be no sell-on to social housing. The intention has always been for this to be a nice upmarket site."

A residents campaign group has sent leaflets out to all of the houses on the estate asking for support in opposing the Maunders project.

A public meeting is to be held on Wednesday, July 7 at the Bear Hotel, starting at 7.30pm.

Members of Blackburn with Darwen Council's planning committee will consider the complaints of the residents at a town hall meeting on July 22.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.