Burnley Council investigating possible breach in planning control related to Worsthorne housing development

Residents living near to the planned development of 38 bungalows on land to the west of Smithyfield Avenue in the village raised their concerns with Burnley Council over “boots on the ground” on the site from developers Applethwaite Homes before a number of pre-commencement conditions had been met.

The application was approved by Burnley Council last November with around 130 conditions, including around 15 pre-commencement conditions.

A number of residents have also contacted the Burnley Express to highlight their anger.

Resident David Pounder, who lives in Copperfield Close, said: “Last week workers from Applethwaite appeared unannounced on site. Diggers have been seen clearing the ground and workers have also erected a two metre high fence.

"Applethwaite promised to contact residents before commencing any work, but they haven’t done so. We also believe not all the pre-conditions have been met.”

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, also contacted the Express with a number of concerns he and a number of residents, particularly the elderly, had experienced so far.

He said: “Now that the application is approved despite the many objections brought forward by residents it appears that Applethwaite Ltd is intending to ride roughshod with complete disregard over the many conditions outlined by Planning Control as to be in place prior to building commencement.

‘Total disregard’

"There has been a total disregard to residents by contractors, including the illegal parking off road of vehicles accessing the site, and blocking of elderly residents’ driveways, many of whom are registered disabled.

“We have also experienced material trucks reversing within busy avenues to unload, abruptly dismissing elderly residents’ pleas to clear away.

“All these observations and more were identified at the outset of this application and are coming to fruition on the difficulties for residents on the non-conformance of conditions of commencement of build by Planning Control and the approval by council.

“Many elderly residents do not have a voice and believe they have been ignored during this whole process and fear for their very existence, one resident has been denied a disabled parking space presumably due to this application, another 104 years of age is afraid to visit a neighbour.

“If this is to be the way of the beginning of building work then I fear that elderly residents will become as aforementioned prisoners in their homes.

“I believe that these residents should be protected by the people responsible for allowing irresponsible decisions to be made of using access through an existing residential estate which there is no precedent.

‘Disgrace’

“The safeguarding of elderly residents should be paramount around this build which seems to have been overlooked by Planning Control and now firmly in the hands of Applethwaite Ltd to do as they so wish, which is a disgrace.”

A Burnley Council spokesperson said: "We are acting on the residents' reports and investigating the matter with a view to establishing if the works constitute a breach in planning control."