Hyndburn Council's planning committee has refused to approve two controversial proposals to convert family houses into small children's care homes.

Consideration of a third such scheme was deferred to a future meeting.

All three were debated by councillors on the committee on Wednesday.

The proposal to turn 6 Grasmere Close, Rishton, into a children's home for one child with up to three carers by Birchwood Children Services was rejected after being deferred by last month's meeting after concerns it was too close of other similar institutions.

But after investigations by planning officers they recommended the conversion of the detached two-storey, three-bedroomed house should go ahead despite two neighbour objections concerned about parking, noise disturbance and its unsuitability for a residential area.

The application was refused after a debate by the councillors.

They also overruled an officer's recommendation to approve an application from Edward Smethurst of Altham-based Prosperity Children's Services Ltd for 47 Hambledon Mill Park, Accrington.

The committee rejected the proposal to convert the detached three-storey, four-bedroomed property into residential accommodation for two children in need of personal care.

The decision followed objections from Milnshaw ward's Cllr Paul Cox and 32 local residents worried about parking, road safety, and the proposed new children's home's impact on elderly neighbours

The committee delayed consideration of a proposal for the conversion of 463 Whalley Road, Clayton Le Moors, into a children’s care home for a maximum of two children with the construction of extensions.

The planning application by Kenneth Tomkins of Jigsaw Children's Home Ltd is a scaled-down version of a previous proposal rejected in March.

Since that decision, Mr Tomkins has reduced the number of children from three to two and submitted further information.

The committee deferred any decision pending a site visit.

The plans have generated objections from eight nearby residents and Clayton-le-Moors wards Cllr Melissa Fisher over parking, noise, disturbance and road safety.