CONTROVERSIAL plans to build houses on a Barnoldswick field have been refused.

Residents living near the field, off Mill Street, gave Pendle Council's West Craven Committee a round of applause when it refused outline planning permission to build homes on the land.

The field is surrounded by Carrprint's Calf Hall Mill, properties on Westgate and Esp Lane, allotments, a motor repair garage and open countryside.

It is currently used for grazing sheep, and a public footpath lies on the boundary of the site.

The developers had proposed using a shared access with Carrprint from Mill Street, running off Calf Hall Road.

However the committee heard there were three loading points for the mill along the road, which is also used for parking.

At a meeting of the full Pendle Council back in November 1999, local residents handed in petitions signed by over 300 people objecting to the proposals.

At last week's meeting of the West Craven Committee a further 15 letters of objection were received from residents on Calf Hall Road, Westgate, Esp Lane and Hill Street, as well as from Carrprint Ltd.

Thirty nine objections were raised against the plans, including fears that the scheme would lead to a major increase in traffic on Calf Hall Road which was already used as a "rat run".

Objectors added that Mill Street was originally built for the sole purpose of servicing the factory and pointed out that there were a number of loading bays along its length.

"Wagons regularly stand on the road to be unloaded by fork lift trucks which would cause access problems and dangers to future residents," objectors added.

Other concerns related to an increase in noise and congestion, and the use of a greenfield site for housing development.

Carrprint said any development on the site could jeopardise any future expansion plans by the firm and the business could also be hindered by having to share a works access.

Planning officer Janet Holland pointed out that Pendle Council had recently undergone a consultation exercise in Barnoldswick to find sufficient land for housing to meet the needs of the 1997 Structure Plan which required 3,200 houses to be built in the area between 1991 and 2006.

But she added: "The sites which have been chosen do not include the application site.

"Given the identification of alternative sites there is no overriding need to permit residential development on unallocated sites."

Miss Holland commented that the development was an "unnecessary and undesirable extension" of the built-up area.

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