A COUNCILLOR has condemned fellow members for travelling to the site of a planning application as it was in the heart of a foot and mouth infected area.

Coun Harry Backhouse hit out at his colleagues on Ribble Valley's planning and development committee when it emerged they had driven up to Grindleton to investigate plans to change a patch of agricultural land into a domestic garden.

When Coun Backhouse spoke on the application, he suggested it be deferred until councillors felt happy to travel into the village, once the threat of foot and mouth has subsided but several fellow members admitted making the journey.

Some 31 cases of foot and mouth have been confirmed in the Ribble Valley over the last two months -- three of which have been in Grindleton.

Government officials have called on local people to restrict the number of journeys they make throughout the area in a bid to halt the risk of the virus spreading.

As an airborne disease, it can cling to people or their cars and spread -- prompting farmers across the area to demand people and cars are disinfected before entering their property.

Coun Backhouse said: "As a rural authority, we more than anybody should know that we shouldn't be making journeys into infected areas.

"I cannot comment on this application because I have decided not to travel to view this site and therefore I think it should be deferred.

"I am appalled that councillors have travelled into this area to look at the site of a planning application. Next thing we'll be told they walked along a footpath to look at it." Two Liberal Democrat councillors admitted going to the site.

Their spokesman told the meeting: "We do not feel anything has been done wrongly. We stayed on main roads and didn't wander off them. The roads were open."

The council approved two applications for Wythenstocks Barn in Back Lane, Grindleton, including one for conversion of agricultural land into a domestic garden.