CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 50 homes in Earby have being given the green light - but any developer will have to spend £400,000 on a raft of conditions.

Pendle councillors on the West Craven Committee backed the development on land in Bawhead Lane last night when they met at the Baptist Church Centre, Barnoldswick.

But after many residents hit out at the proposals - claiming it would create traffic chaos, increase the risk of flooding and threaten village life - members imposed a number of conditions on the scheme as a compromise.

The conditions include spending about £100,00 improving the football pitch between Bailey Street and Earby County Primary School, £60,000 on improving play areas, £30,000 on flood prevention, £30,000 for CCTV cameras and £20,000 for improved transport links.

Coun David Whipp said he was against the development but the conditions imposed would benefit residents.

He added: "We thought for the wider community of Earby to get some money to improve things in relation to flood risk and installing CCTV as they thought it was a good idea.

"This is something residents in Earby have campaigned long and hard for and all in all there is £400,000 of investment in Earby."

The land, owned by Pendle Council, has been earmarked for housing for many years as part of the authority's local plan.

The outline application made by the council is for access to the site - known as Springfield - to be from Bailey Street.

The authority will now market the land to developers.

Coun Whipp explained planning regulations and Government legislation gave councillors no choice but to accept the plans.

He said: "We tried to approach this as it was a private developer but planning officers said if this was an application from a private developer there would be absolutely no grounds for refusal.

"I don't like to see development but the decision of developing on this site was taken donkey's years ago."