ANGRY residents have vowed to fight controversial plans to build a multi-million pound waste transfer station in their neighbourhood.

And they have blasted Lancashire County Council bosses over the proposals.

Lancashire County Council has identified Waterbarn Mill, Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, as the site it wants to develop.

The development would see the former plastics recycling business demolished and replaced by a state-of-the-art building, believed to cost around £2.5 million.

It would be funded by a private finance initiative to treat household waste, provide composting for green waste and provide a bulking service for the transfer of recyclable materials.

But residents say the road is not suitable to cope with the amount of traffic the site will generate.

At a Lancashire local meeting in Rawtenstall's St Mary's Chamber - a county council meeting held just for Rossendale residents - locals raised their concerns over the plan.

Ian Swingewood, of Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, said: "I've lived 75 metres away from the site for 22 years.

"We are talking about 80 trucks coming in and out of the site at any one time during the day. There were problems when there were only 10 movements per day. We have had our property and cars damaged, and extensive noise problems.

"We have had 20 years of no enforcement and no help."

Steve Brown, planning service manager at Lancashire County Council, said it had taken 18 months to identify Waterbarn as an appropriate site.

He said: "I am aware of problems in the past, but the development will be operated under a Lancashire County Council contract run by contractors.

"Any breach of contract will result in heavy fines amounting to several thousand pounds per day.

"I appreciate that people don't want these sites on their doorsteps but we have done an extensive search and Waterbarn meets all the relevant criteria we need to be able to build the site.

"The building will be insulated from noise and will be washed throughout after each working day.

"No waste will be stored at the site overnight. It will be bulked up and taken to landfill once treated at the site."

"There are plans to rebuild the bridge to help create better access."

County council bosses are seeking the views of residents at a series of consultation meetings due to be organised.