FIELDS earmarked for a controversial industrial estate may be used for housing instead, a senior Pendle councillor has suggested.

No factories or offices have been built on Riverside Business Park, Barrowford, since outline planning permission was granted six years ago.

"I suspect there may be a different longer-term plan for that site that doesn't require industry," former council leader Alan Davies told a special meeting of Pendle Council's policy committee.

"I would not be surprised in the next year or two if we see a different application on that site which would affect our housing allocation."

Coun Davies was speaking as councillors discussed sites for industrial and housing use over the next few years. The committee agreed not to go ahead with a proposed extension to Riverside into surrounding fields.

Councillor John David added: "It's obvious to the public that this site may well not be being marketed. The general public sees a lot of land that's been on the market for three or four years and nobody doing anything to put bricks and mortar there."

Mark Taylforth, of property agent Trevor Dawson, joint agent for Riverside, said the firm was marketing the business park.

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