PROTESTERS against a proposed housing development off Knotts Lane in Colne are anxiously waiting next week's decision by councillors whether to grant planning permission to Persimmon Homes.

The campaign group "Get Knotted" are against development on the land and the council has received nine individual letters of objection from residents, two standard duplicated letters signed by more than 250 people and two petitions, one containing nine names and another 81 names.

But despite overwhelming opposition to the amended plans, which include 190 houses on the former railway sidings, off Knotts Drive, with the inclusion of a wildlife site, council planners have recommended them for approval.

A previous application in February 2000 for 209 houses was deferred by the council's policy committee until an 'Urban Capacity Study' was carried out, which is now complete and will be used to determine the new application.

Plans for 101 houses were received in September 2000 and the developers appealed against the non-determination of the application but the appeal has been put on hold after they agreed to set aside an area for a local nature reserve. The current application is for 88 detached houses, 74 linked, 20 semi-detached and eight bungalows, as well as a wildlife area, area of public space, a play area and landscaped corridor along the watercourse. Residents in Knotts Drive, which would be used as an access road to the development, are prepared to do battle with the developers.

They are concerned that there will be no green fields nor wildlife left in the area, that traffic is already bad enough and the quality of the roads poor. The Wildlife Trust has objected to the inclusion of the railway sidings in the plans as they say they meet the selection criteria for Biological Heritage Site status and should be classed as greenfield land not brownfield.

But council planners in a report to the Colne and District Committee, which will meet on Thursday, said the Trust had previously agreed to the compromise that the developers would safeguard the most significant part of the site for wildlife so it could become a nature reserve and that they believe this is still the best option.

The report also said: "The site has good links with schools which would be improved by upgrading a cycleway and public transport would enhance accessibility to shops and services in the town centre.

"The highway infrastructure can cater for the proposed development subject to off-site improvements, which the developer is willing to fund.

"The issue of the wildlife interest of the railway sidings has been appropriately addressed despite the Wildlife Trust's change in stance and will secure the future of the most significant wildlife on the site which will be a positive gain for the local area."

The application is for more than 150 houses so a decision to approve the plans must be referred to the Secretary of State.