RESIDENTS concerned about plans for another 79 homes on a key development site in Blackburn will hold a protest meeting next week.

The Greenfield Focus Group and local councillors have organised the summit with planning officials to discuss their objections to Wainhomes NW Ltd’s scheme for 12 acres of land to the west of Gib Lane.

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The application follows Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning committee giving the go-ahead in June for a 145-home Livesey Green village by Rule Five Land Ltd on a nearby site.

The approval of that scheme led to fears of a flood of new housing developments on greenfield land around Blackburn in view of the borough’s ambition for the building of 4,000 new luxury executive-style properties by 2030.

Now Meadowhead ward councillors Ashley Whalley, Julie Gunn and Konrad Tapp have arranged the meeting on Tuesday (6pm) at St Bede’s RC secondary school on Green Lane. It will be attended by senior borough planning officials. The three Meadowhead councillors and their Livesey with Pleasington colleagues are set to attend.

Greenfield Focus Group chairman Keith Murray said: “In a perfect world we would rather the development did not go ahead. We accept, in view of the council’s local plan, it will probably be approved. We want the borough planning committee to impose strict conditions.

“The proposed new houses are too close for comfort and privacy to five bungalows on Gib Lane to the severe detriment of the existing residents. We are concerned about the density of the development and the effect of traffic on Gib Lane. We are hoping for at least 50 at the meeting.”

The original application was for 93 homes but was reduced after discussions with planners. The proposal includes seven five-bedroom and 72 four-bedroom properties. Wainhomes’ planning statement said: “The houses would be high-quality, family houses. They would have gardens to the front and rear, and off-road parking in the form of drives and garages.”

Stephen Harris, of Wainhomes’ agents The Emery Planning Partnership, said: “We have not been invited to the meeting next week and will take any comments on board when we meet the planning officers.”

A council spokesman said: “We do not comment on planning applications.”