CONTRACTORS working on a flood prevention scheme have been asked to go back to the drawing board to avoid creating a new access road in a nature reserve.

Nelson councillors backed the scheme to improve a stretch of Pendle Water through Lomeshaye Village, which will cut the risk of flooding from one in every ten years to one in 100 years.

But they strongly opposed any move to run a new access road to nearby industrial units through the Loamy Wood nature area.

Pendle Council's Nelson area committee was also told that other disadvantages would include noise and dust from earthmoving machinery during the work, loss of and damage to trees and shrubs during construction and possible damage to aquatic wildlife caused by increased silt in the river during the work.

Lomeshaye Village residents strongly oppose any move to encroach on to the nature reserve.

Nelson councillor Roger Abbiss said: "We liked the scheme because it reduces the risk of flooding from once every ten years to once a century but we are not happy at the effect on Loamy Wood.

"We've asked the contractors to go back and look at it again."

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