A BARNOLDSWICK resident is urging Pendle Council to improve a 94-year-old drainage system before planning permission is granted to build more than 50 homes in a renowned flooding zone.

Ernest Spencer, of Gisburn Road, said the current system would not be able to handle an influx of houses all sharing the same system.

An application has been submitted to Pendle Borough Council's planning department to build 54 houses at the Westfield Mill site on Carr Road - formerly the home of Dermide.

The plans have been submitted by Orchard Holdings.

In June 2002 flash floods hit the area for the fourth time in three years, destroying homes and businesses. In August that year, the streets flooded for the second time in just nine weeks.

In January of this year consultants Michael Lambert Associates published a report outlining a number of recommendations to prevent further flooding.

The recommendations included having a two-pipe system running out to the main pipe at the rear corner of Dermides to contain floodwater in the Westfield dam.

It also recommended that the main pipe be increased in size.

Mr Spencer wrote to residents asking them to support his campaign.

In his letter, he commented on a recent report of Pendle Council's overview and scrutiny committee.

He wrote: "This contains a schedule of 19 flood areas, which includes Ghyll Meadow, Crow's Nest, Gillian's Lane and Walmsgate car park. There are 14 areas listed as 'high risk', which include Gillian's Lane, Crow's Nest, Walmsgate car park and Earby Road, Salterforth. The Gisburn Road area, Westfield Mill and Fernbank have only a two-line reference in the entire report. This appalling statement beggars belief."

Mr Spencer claimed local councillors had dismissed the flooding risks in the Gisburn Road area.

"Not to be placed on either list begs the question: are they really serious in their commitment to our area?"

Mr Spencer told the Herald: "This area has been a flood area for a long time. It is very difficult to think what the councillors have actually done in this area to show real interest.

"The housing sites in this area all use the same system.

"It is 94- years-old and was built to handle the number of terraces in this area. They go on building and building using the same system.

"I would like to know how they are going to solve the flood problem if they want to turn it into a housing site."

But Coun Margaret Bell, a member of Barnoldswick Town Council and Pendle Borough Council, said a lot of work had been done in the area to prevent flooding.

Last year £10,000 from the West Craven Committee's capital budget went towards improvements in the area - a quarter of the budget, she said.

Coun Bell added: "I have worked really hard and we all have to try and resolve the situation.

"It is of great concern and work has been done to address it and I suspect work will be done in the future as well.

"If the application was approved, one of the conditions would be to examine and resolve the flooding in the area."