COUNCIL leader George Slynn has repeated pledges to secure new community facilities as part of a huge housing development at Huncoat.

Hyndburn Council is wearing two hats at Huncoat, one as a landowner, with a significant stake in the site and the other as planning authority, ensuring a co-ordinated community development.

Councillor Slynn said if the authority were only interested in money from the sale of its land it could have sold it piece by piece.

He added: "We have kept the family silver to give a better deal to the people whose land it is, the people of this borough and the people of Huncoat."

Councillor Slynn said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure better social facilities for the community of Huncoat than they had had for the last 50 years.The principle landowners are expected to submit a joint outline planning application for the entire site by the end of this month.

The application is likely to go before the development services committee about 12 weeks later, allowing consultation with the local community via Huncoat Forum.

Any planning consent granted will be subject to an agreement being signed on the way the landowners, including the council, will contribute to a package of community facilities.

The proposals in the council's development brief for the site include a community centre, neighbourhood shops, a doctor's surgery, pharmacy and improving the existing playing field facilities.

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