A MASSIVE business park development at BAE Samlesbury could lead to greenbelt land disappearing under a sea of housing, parish councils have claimed.

The £100million proposal has caused concern in Mellor and Balderstone over the impact it could have on the area.

While they back the creation of nearly 1,500 new jobs, they fear the impact of more houses - as well as cars travelling to the business park.

If approved, the development will see a new entrance created, kick-starting a project to build new engineering facilities.

The two parish councils have met several times and will have a representative at the Ribble Valley Council planning meet-ing tomorrow night, where approval could take a step nearer.

Charles Warkman, a member of Mellor parish council and also the borough council, said the proposed development had caused a lot of concern among residents.

Coun Warkman, who lives in Mellor, said: "With feeder firms coming in to the park it's going to be massive.

"At the moment most workers travel by car but if the site grows will there be housing pressure? Workers might want to live nearer work and this is something that might be looked at."

If plans are to get the green light they must be approved by Ribble Valley and then by South Ribble Council at a meeting later this month.

Traffic worries have been heightened by BAE's plans to move the entrance for the new site down the A59 nearer to the Mellor Brook roundabout.

Coun Warkman added: "By moving the entrance nearer to Mellor Brook it will create horrendous traffic problems.

"If they move it nearer to the village it will become a really serious problem. Workers from Blackburn are already using Branch Road as a rat-run and this will only get worse."

BAE systems said they have liased with residents throughout the planning process and have taken in to account their concerns Dave Holmes, director of investment and strategic planning at BAE Systems, said: "We have committed to maintain open and honest communications with all our stake-holders, and that is a commitment we will keep."