THERE has been much publicity about the problems faced by young people brought up in the Ribble Valley who have to move to another area to find somewhere to live.

The down side of the district featuring regularly in league tables for low unemployment and high quality of life is that house prices are soaring out of the reach of many.

As more folk reckon the Ribble Valley is THE place to be builders queue to put up as many 'executive style' new houses as they can persuade planners to approve.

Today we hear that in Whalley a questionnaire is being distributed by a concerned resident who wants a block put on further house-building because of the pressure now on local primary schools and the medical centre. Whalley's problems are magnified by the development opportunities opened up on the Calderstones Hospital site.

Fifty one houses have already been built out of a final scheduled total of 318 -reduced under protest from 1000 - but as local councillor Joyce Holgate says "the infrastructure to cope with this huge influx of people just isn't there."

The council's chief planning officer says no more green field development will be allowed in Whalley. Some believe far too much has already been approved without insisting that the developers pay for all the other things needed to support the quality of life the district has become famous for.