ANGRY residents today vowed to fight plans to change an old people's home into a unit for abused children.

Neighbours living close to Deansford Residential Home for the Elderly, Dean Road, Helmshore, spoke out at a public meeting held to discuss a planning application for the change of use.

The plans to change the privately run home, which currently houses 14 elderly residents, into a private children's home for eight children between eight and 14 have been submitted to Rossendale Borough Council by Halliwell Homes.

The application states the children would be victims of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect but does not include any alterations to the building.

Halliwell Homes declined to comment on the application. Owner of Deansford Peter Nuttall was also unavailable for comment but it is understood he will continue to be involved in the unit jointly with Halliwell Homes if the application gets the go ahead.

The home would remain a privately run business with Lancashire County Council buying places for children under social services care.

Helen Nolan, who lives in Dean Road, led the meeting at Haslingden Sports Centre with neighbour John Navan.

She said: "We are urging everybody to write a letter and objections have to be in by May 3. We are forming a petition as well."

The pair urged about 30 residents to write letters highlighting fears which include concerns for the welfare of elderly neighbours at the private home, concern over the area losing its character, fear of traffic increasing and loss of local amenities. One elderly female resident, who did not wish to be named, commented: "We must stress every single person in this room will have sympathy with those children.

"But there are children in this area already and there is nowhere for them to go. They can't play in the park. This would mean us having eight more.

"It is going to exacerbate the existing situation."

Judith Rook, a care assistant at Deansford, claimed elderly residents had only just been told of the plans.

She said: "Until this week they were totally in the dark about this situation.

"I'm dealing with the residents at the moment and those with Alzheimers are getting flashbacks and can't cope with it."

But Haslingden ward councillor George Lee said such issues as the psychological affect of the plans on the home's residents could not be considered at a planning committee meeting. "All we can go on is that the change of use would not fit in with the community that surrounds it," he added.

Halliwell Homes -- which runs another facility for children with emotional and behavioural problems at Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said they had not heard about the proposals but private homes such as the one detailed on the application would look to the local authority to buy places for children under social services care.

He added: "They would have to apply to be on our approved list and meet certain standards with the National Care Standards Commission before they could care for children."

The application is due to be discussed by the council's planning committee in June.