COUNCILS have been urged to think again after it was revealed notices for a controversial school extension in a predominantly Asian area were written only in English.

The call, which is already being considered by Blackburn with Darwen Council, came after angry residents from the Queens Park Road area of Audley objected to plans to extend Audley Infants and Junior School to provide a new sports and arts facility.

It will be used by the community and the school from 8am until 10pm every day of the week and is one of three projects funded by the Government as part of an initiative to place schools at the heart of the communities they serve.

But residents told the council's planning committee, which gave the schemes the go-ahead, they only found out seven days before last night's meeting about the plans.

They also suggested many people had missed out on the chance to comment because notices placed around the application site were only written in English.

Pendle Council, Hyndburn Council and Burnley Council today also admitted they only print planning notices in English.

Angry resident Valerie Yates of Queens Road said: "Very few people received letters about it and only a couple of notices were put up. They were in English in an area with is 80 per cent Asian. Surely they should have been placed in other scripts as well.

"There has been no democracy here. It is like the council are steam-rolling this project through."

Another resident, who asked not to be named, added: "Many people in this area cannot read English. They have not had a chance to make their opinions known."

Janaid Qureshi, chairman of racial equality council and a governor at Audley School, said: "I think the council should publish planning applications in other languages in the same way it does for certain posters now.

"Everyone should be given the chance to speak on an issue. People are missing out if they cannot understand English.

"A lot of people in this area understand Gujurati and Urdu but their voices have been lost.

"As a governer at this school, I know it has the support of parents but I do appreciate the council could do more."

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "No authority is obliged to do this, though many authorities do print at least some posters in foreign languages."

Coun Frank Connor, chairman of the committee: "I think we need to look at how we consult people.

"However, I am always happy to attend meetings with residents about planning application, no matter how much flak I take." I am used to the fact we are rarely congratulated for planning decision we take."

A spokesman for the planning committee told the meeting that they would look into how they consulted people, and pointed out many houses around the site had received letters about the proposals.

The residents said the site of the building was too close to houses and would lead to car headlights shining into nearby homes when cars pulled up on the raised car park late into the evening.

Similar schemes at St Michael with St John Primary School, Swallow Drive, and Wensley Fold Primary School, Manor Road, were also approved.