ANGRY residents who vowed to fight "tooth and nail" to stop houses being built on fields in Colne have collected the biggest ever petition handed in to Pendle Council.

Campaigners opposing four hectares of fields off Windermere Avenue being earmarked for a new housing estate presented a 614-name petition at Colne Town Hall yesterday. They set up an action group and started a "fighting fund" to pay for legal advice to try to stop the fields being turned over to a developer.

Dr Alison Birkinshaw, a leading member of the action committee, said: "We will fight this tooth and nail and we will take it to a local public inquiry if necessary.

"We set up a fighting fund to pay for legal advice on how to stop this development and, if necessary, a barrister to fight on our side at an inquiry."

Donations have ranged from £5 from an elderly man worried he will lose a quiet place to walk on to £100 from an anonymous supporter. Dr Birkinshaw said no fund-raising target had been set and the amount of money needed would depend on the council's decision on the proposal. The petition was collected during a six-week public consultation over the controversial proposal.

A team of around 15 people knocked on doors to gather names and forms were handed out at a number of events. It was presented to ward Councillor Jo Belbin who is chairman of the council's Colne area committee.

She said: "The petition opposes the land being shown for development on the council's Local Plan. There are 614 names on it which I think makes it the biggest Pendle Council has ever received. It shows the strength of feeling against this proposal and is a great credit to local people who have worked extremely hard."

The site is being considered for housing to help meet Government targets set for Pendle to come up with sufficient housing land to meet demand until 2005. It was included on a list of proposed sites after being pushed through by Labour and Tory councillors. The whole issue of housing land availability will be discussed by the council's policy committee on March 16 when Coun Belbin will urge colleagues to drop the Windermere Avenue site from the housing list.

Brian Clark and Coun Jo Belbin are pictured, along with other action group members, at Colne Town Hall.

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