RESIDENTS near a proposed site for a waste transfer station in Darwen are campaigning to prevent the development going ahead.

Plans for the site, off Goose House Lane, have been on display at Darwen Moorland High School.

Resident Tracy Jones said: "I have looked into this waste transfer business and where they have one in Blackpool and Colne they were not allowed to put them within a certain distance of homes. Yet from the closest point of the site to the nearest house it is only about 35 feet.

"At the top of Hollins Grove there's a civil engineering development, which is not a problem to us, but when they flattened the land to make way for it all the mice that lived there headed towards our houses because they were disturbed.

"That site is only a fifth of the size of this proposed site so it's going to be even worse."

Sudell ward councillor Roy Davies said: "Blackburn gets a new multi-million pound B&Q site and Darwen gets Blackburn's waste transfer station. That sums things up. We are becoming a dumping ground for what Blackburn doesn't want."

Peter Hunt, director of direct services at the council, said: "The main concerns from people have been about noise and smell, but I can assure everyone that this will not be an issue as the transfer station will be under cover and there will be a complete air management system to ensure that there are no odours coming from the site."