VILLAGERS have united to thwart an unwanted garden nursery plan with their own bid for millennium cash to create a village green.

Planning permission was granted for the nursery on the site adjacent to Burnley Road East and Peersclough Road, Lumb, despite 11 letters of objection from local residents and a 145-name petition.

Now they have formed themselves into a residents' committee and hope to achieve backing for a plan to create a village green, pond, wildlife and nature area.

A well-presented application complete with aerial photographs, architect's drawings, a petition and supporting letters from Water School, MP Janet Anderson, Lumb Valley Residential Home, Rossendale Groundwork, Lumb Baptist Church and ward councillors Jean Hayler and David Hancock has been sent to the Countryside Commission.

The application will also be discussed at Rossendale policy and resources committee on Monday, when Lumb Valley Residents' Committee hope councillors will earmark the land for their proposed use.

The garden nursery applicant has not made an application to purchase the land from Rossendale Council.

In his letter to the commission, resident Simon Walsh says: "Our proposed site is the only roadside open land serving the ribbon development villages of Water and Lumb and, as such, we feel it is ideal for the Millennium greens initiative.

"The site has served as a informal village green since the demolition of a cotton mill on the site in 1900 and has since become the external focal point of the post-industrial villages.

"The Millennium will mark the centenary of the passing of Annis Mill and we feel it appropriate that an angle of the proposal will be to celebrate this fact."

Coun Dick Stuart said: "I fully support this plan and think it is an imaginative and wonderful proposal for the villages of Lumb and Water. It will be well-used by the residents and will be a valuable educational resource for the schoolchildren."

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