A PARTIAL award of costs has been made against Rossendale Council after a planning application was approved on appeal.

Cheshire-based Wordsworth Corporation had applied to develop the former Irwell Springs site off Heald Lane, Weir, for housing but was refused by the council because it was against Government planning policy and considered not sustainable.

After a public inquiry, Inspector Stuart Nixon allowed the development, with conditions, and considered an application for costs by Wordsworth.

He concluded the inquiry could not have been avoided but the council should have backed its 'sustainablity' argument with a transport assessment and crucially it failed to recognise the extant planning permission which had already granted approval for residential use.

Mr Nixon said: "Members may have been in ignorance when making the decision is not a justification in law". He also found unreasonable the council's argument that the development was premature with the forthcoming review of the district local plan.