RESIDENTS and councillors joined forces to oppose plans for a motocross centre on farm land close to their homes.

More than 80 residents from the Meadowhead, Tockholes and Pleasington areas met at Feniscowles County Primary School to voice their concern over the controversial planning application.

The plans, if approved by Blackburn with Darwen Council, would create junior and adult motorcross tracks at Shaws Farm, Stockclough Lane, Feniscowles.

The man behind the application, Peter Gombos, wants to develop his Champ North West business for off-road bikes at the site.

He told the meeting that the site had been used on and off, unofficially, for the last 12 years.

This is the second application for a motorcross track -- used by all types of squad bikes, scooters and motorbikes - to meet objection. The original proposal for a track at Stockclough Quarry was rejected by council planning because of environmental concerns.

And residents are so furious that noise, traffic and disruption would blight the area still further that they have launched a petition to stop the plans once and for all.

The Mayor of Blackburn, Coun John Williams, said the meeting had to be called because feeling in the area was so strained and 160 written objections to the plans had already been received by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

One resident from Tockholes area said: "We have already been through enough. You can already hear the motorway like it's in your own garden, so what will this be like?"

Residents at Princess Gardens insisted: "The road is already such a mess with whisky bottles, beer cans and churned up verges. Trailers passing day in day out will just make it worse."

And problems are complicated because the road is private rather than adopted, which means that conservation issues are out of planners' hands.

Mr Gombos said: "If you let this site be run like it has been over the last 12 years, you will get huge congregations of bikers. We want to run a legitimate business with a select few people in an organised and legitimate way.

"It needs professional attention with the chance to enhance facilities."

But concern was also raised during the meeting with about youths congregating in the area.

Coun Edward Harrison of Meadowhead ward, said: "Any site like this is just going to make more troublesome youths come to the area. It's not exactly the type of person we want here.

"The problem with a motorcross site is that, with us being high-up, the noise will travel for miles."

And Coun Derek Hardman of Cherry Tree ward said: "Playing on the issues of noise and rubbish is the best way of getting these proposals thrown out."

The planning application could be rejected by council because of the extent of resident objection.

Councillors had been concerned that "organised thugs" were targeting them after receiving death threats over the issue but the meeting was told they were from one individual who has since been taken into hospital.