A CAMPAIGN against the building of a leisure centre on green belt land in Burnley reached the town centre yesterday when Friends of the Earth invited shoppers to sign a protest petition.

They are concerned at Burnley Council giving the go-ahead for a 100-acre leisure park which will eat into green belt land.

Burnley businessman Andrew Brown was given approval in principle for his £6million plan to create a new forest and major leisure and equestrian centres on land at Crow Wood House Farm, near the Burnley Asda junction with the M65 motorway.

His application needs full council approval and special consent from the Secretary of State because the scheme runs "substantially contrary" to the Local Plan.

Carole Galbraith, co-ordinator of Burnley and District Friends of the Earth said: "The green belt lies on the far side of the motorway from the town centre. Not only does it protect the outstanding views from Burnley towards Pendleside but provides easy access to the countryside for some of the most deprived areas of town.

"It is vital that the rural surroundings of Burnley are protected."

Burnley needed to attract employers that required a skilled and committed workforce.

She added: "Burnley has plenty of land that could be developed without destroying our precious heritage of Green Belt which is there for the benefit of all the people of Burnley."

She said the council had a responsibility to have a referendum whether they wished to see the Green belt eroded.

Chairman Les Marsden said most people and businesses were unaware of the plan to violate the countryside.

He said they were horrified at the damage that would result to local amenity if the leisure centre plan or any other to develop on green belt land went ahead.

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