Controversial Cliviger housing plan put on hold for second time as councillors prepare to meet with developer

An artist's impression of what the Red Lees Road housing development would look like.

The application to build 129 houses in Cliviger was discussed at an extraordinary meeting of Burnley Council on Wednesday evening.

After a protracted debate councillors agreed to defer the decision on whether or not to give the development in Red Lees Road the go ahead as they wish to have further discussions with the developer about the design and layout of the scheme.

A decision on when the scheme will be discussed again will be made in the next few days.

In August the plan was due to be given the green light, with a raft of conditions attached, at a meeting of Burnley Council's planning committee.

But after a long and heated debate members of the committee rejected the plans.

But as the site was identified for a large housing development in the Burnley Borough Council's Local Plan in 2017 and to turn it down would be 'substantial departure' from the local plan, both the council's solicitor and Head of Housing and Development Control directed that the issue had to be referred to the full council.

Residents have campaigned against the development which would see a total of 94 detached properties and 26 semi-detached homes on the site.

The homes will be a mix of three and four bedroomed properties and vehicle access will be from Red Lees Road with two access points for pedestrians.

Plans show the development comprises a modern residential estate layout with a one road through it and a series of cul-de-sacs. The layout is designed to have a frontage of houses facing Red Lees Road, set back by an access road and driveways and the drystone boundary wall, that has been there for decades, will remain in place.

A raft of objections to the scheme have been made by residents and neighbours living next to the site, Cliviger Parish Council and Burnley Civic Trust.

Objections include the claim that 129 houses on the site is excessive, the layout is unimaginative, cramped and of no architectural merit.

Campaigners also claim the development will remove three visitor footpaths and have a detrimental effect on the infracstructure of the village itself and take away a valued greenfield space.

One of the conditions attached to the scheme going ahead include the developer contributing towards the almost £1M cost of providing 54 extra primary and secondary school places that will be needed for families moving to the new estate.