Blackburn residents in land row with council over loss of open land
- Published
Most of the field would be used to build new homes under the council's proposed sale
A council plan to sell off part of a former factory site that has become an informal community green has caused uproar among local residents.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has started consulting on the sale of the small field by Scotland Bank Terrace to a local developer.
Gleeson Homes has told officials it cannot progress its plans to build 40 new homes in the area without the site.
But some said they opposed the sale due to the loss of public space.
The plot is part of a wider site that used to be a former mill and a factory run by footwear company Kickers, and has been vacant for more than a decade, with several schemes to regenerate the area failing to progress.
A council spokeswoman said previous plans "just haven't been financially viable", but the latest proposal would see the open land "used to make the site bigger".
'Annoyed'
Those living along Scotland Bank Terrace, Ouseburn Road and the surrounding streets told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they understood the area was protected from development in 2013.
One long-term resident of Ouseburn Road said: "If Gleeson Homes acquire the land, they say we will be left with just one third and they will upgrade it, but in our view it doesn't need upgrading.
"There is no other open space land fit for us to exercise, to play football, hold community gatherings etc within a safe proximity to our homes," they added.
Gleeson Homes plans to build 40 affordable two, three and four bed homes and provide replacement "quality public open space".
Another resident said they were "annoyed the protection can be removed without residents being informed", after a group of local previously enquired about village green status for the land.
"The field is perfect for children to play on, dog walking and families to gather on."
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