Thousands object to Local Plan

RESIDENTS have sent thousands of objections in response to Rossendale’s draft Local Plan consultation.

The Local Plan outlines a series of proposals to build new houses on various sites around the Rossendale Borough. The council has been set a target, by central government, to build more than 2,000 houses over ten years.

According to figures published in a council report, 3,045 comments were received, with 2,675 of these being objections - a further 146 comments were supportive, with another 224 being classed as ‘neutral’. The council also received six petitions, with a total of 586 signatures between them.

The largest number of objections, just over 800, opposed the changes to Green Belt land in Whitworth, and Edenfield where 500 new homes had been earmarked.

Edenfield ward councillor, Janice Johnson, echoed residents’ concerns about pressure on infrastructure.

She said: “There is a need for new homes and industrial spaces in the future but there are approximately 16 areas prone to flooding, the roads and the M66 are full to bursting morning and evening. In Eden ward our schools are full, there are no doctors and public transport is very poor.

“Once farmland is built on, it’s lost - and with Brexit we will need more farmland.”

The borough had been facing a target of 4,000 new homes over 15 years from the government, but in September MP Jake Berry said his intervention had helped see the figure halved.

Mr Berry said he still had environmental concerns. He said: “Despite managing to substantially reduce the housing figures, the Council’s draft plan proposes bulldozing dozens of greenfield sites across the valley with only 20 per cent of developments earmarked for brownfield sites. Just because it’s harder to build new houses on brownfield sites doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. One of Rossendale’s greatest assets is its countryside, we must make sure that we protect it for generations to come.”

Feedback will now be assessed and a draft plan will be assembled to submit to councillors in Spring 2018.