A NEW sports hall and all-weather pitch is planned for Beardwood High School, Blackburn.

The ruling Labour group on Blackburn's Planning and Highways Committee wanted to raise no objections to Lancashire County Council's plans for the Preston New Road site.

But Conservatives made the plan a recommendation to council, which means it will have to be discussed again.

Councillors were told the existing pitches would be improved and an artificial surface laid over one of the pitches to give a floodlit all-weather area for joint school and community use.

Coun Nen Bramley-Haworth said the pitch would create noise close to Beardwood Hospital and claimed that, when the school was built, a ruling was made about how far away it had to be from the hospital. Planning officer Keith Martin said any agreement was between the education department and the hospital and it was up to Blackburn Council to make observations to the County Council on the planning issues.

Coun Bramley-Haworth added: "Surely compassion and humanity come into it as well?"

Committee chairman Coun Dave Smith said: "At the end of the day, it is a new sports pitch for Blackburn and something we should welcome. The hospital can object to the County Council."

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