PLEAS against plans for new homes in Pendle are set to be rejected by Lancashire County Council.

Local councillors and residents' groups asked the council to cut the target of homes to be built in future years, but county councillors are due to confirm the numbers tomorrow.

Councillors are recommended to agree that Pendle Council earmarks enough potential housing sites for 700 more new homes in the borough by 2006.

A delegation from Pendle met county officials in April to argue there was no need for so many new homes, most of which would be built on fields.

Pendle was set a target to find enough land for 3,200 to be built between 1991 and 2006.

Of those around 1,200 have already been built and sites have already been identified for 1,300 others, leaving land for 700 proposed homes still outstanding.

Pendle launched a major public consultation earlier this year, including several exhibitions, to give people the chance to have their say on 18 potential housing sites.

The county's planning, industrial development and tourism committee, which meets tomorrow, is also recommended to inform Pendle that its local plan to 2001 - the blueprint which outlines what land should be used for - does not conform with the county's planning strategy because it does not meet housing needs.

The county document, known as the structure plan, is at the start of a review which will take it to 2016.

Officials promise Pendle Council and local people will be consulted.

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