PRAISE must go to councillors for making the right decision in refusing a planning application by Bellway to develop flats, houses and offices on the former Airtours site at Helmshore.
There are no more amenities planned for Helmshore. No doctors or dentists are in the village and the ones at Haslingden are full.
Over 60 per cent of the planning budget has been crammed into Helmshore even though it is the east of the valley that needs developing. The site would be unsustainable if the bus route ended.
These are the facts and the councillors responded to them.
The council must not be dictated to by either central government or developers, neither of which have local concerns as their priority.
The councillors are elected by the people for the people and in this case they did a sterling job.
The residents are under no delusion that the developers will appeal and keep on appealing until they get their way but the residents have now gone two rounds with the developers and are leading on points.
We are looking forward to being able to deliver the knockout blow when it goes to the inevitable appeal.
KELVIN LAMBOURNE, Holcombe Road, Helmshore.
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