ROCKETING house prices in the Ribble Valley have prompted a home improvements boom.

Ribble Valley Council says it is receiving an 'unprecedented' number of planning applications for extensions and loft conversions.

And local building firms say they have enough orders to last them 18 months.

The council believes the growth has been triggered by rising house prices in the rural valley.

But councillors have warned that they will not allow extensions which are detrimental to neighbours and the surrounding area.

A meeting of the planning committee was told 48 extensions to houses had been approved by officers in the previous month.

They ranged from new garages and extensions to single rooms, loft conversions and two-storey extensions.

A further 13 were refused -- mainly in conservation areas -- while 13 were determined by councillors after objections from nearby residents.

New figures from the Land Registry, which records all property sales, reveal the average detached house in the Ribble Valley sells for £253,469 - up from £215,669 12 months ago.

Small terrace houses are selling for £100,816 -- up from £97,342 and compared to the average terrace house in Blackburn, which sells for £48,919.

The council is now only allowing the building of 'affordable' houses, to help first time buyers on to the property ladder.

Whalley councillor Joyce Holgate said: "They are springing up everywhere.

"It is because people can't afford to move because everywhere is so expensive so they spend a few thousand pounds getting an extension."

Mel Short, from Lammack-based Mel Short Roofing and Building Contractor, said: "People ring up and ask for a quote and expect us to be able to start straight away but at the moment, they'd be lucky to get it done within the next two years.

"People are opting to stay in their homes and improve them rather than spend a fortune moving somewhere bigger.

"It started in the Ribble Valley but as prices go up elsewhere, demand is increasing there as well."

Keith Gillibrand, from GT Joinery, based in Langho, said: "People can get a good price for their houses, but where do they move to?

"Prices are going up, which means more people are looking to stay put."