A TOWN hall boss today apologised for "a serious error" by staff which left Harle Syke residents without public parking spaces.

Burnley chief executive Roger Ellis says officers should have taken proper legal advice before the go-ahead was given for housing redevelopment of the former Oxford Mill site.

Although a condition stipulated the builder would provide seven public parking spaces on Cobden Street, he subsequently "changed his mind" and sold the site to a householder as garden land, says a report to the council's development control committee.

Now angry Cobden Street residents have petitioned the council, claiming there is serious road congestion and safety problems and their children cannot play out safely.

The parish council has said it backs the residents' complaint and would support any complaint to the ombudsman of maladministration by the council. A nearby doctors' surgery has also told the town hall of difficulties caused to elderly and disabled patients who cannot now park nearby.

Despite the controversy, councillors last year gave planning permission to the resident to use the land as a garden.

Now, after carrying out his own inquiry, Mr Ellis says the authority got it wrong at the time of the housing application.

In a letter to councillors he says the conditions imposed were not legally effective and adds: "The officers should have taken proper legal advice before the permission was granted, which could have resulted in a planning agreement with the developer to ensure that public spaces were provided and permanently maintained."

He has asked officers to re-examine procedures to avoid re-occurrence of similar problems and suggests further staff training.

And he is calling for "serious steps" to be taken to alleviate parking problems in Cobden Street.

Councillors meeting on Thursday will be asked to "note" the concerns expressed and investigate options to ease the parking problem.

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