THE COMPANY behind a multi-million pound housing development in Burnley has won its appeal against having to complete a road safety scheme costing just £3,000.

Rocketfine Homes Ltd today came under fire for going back on a three-year-old promise to improve road safety in the area.

But the firm said the request was unfair because the traffic scheme was unconnected to its Whiteacres development.

The company is nearing completion of its 10 executive homes on the site of the former Whiteacres home for the elderly, off Clevelands Road, which are on the market from £249,995.

Lancashire County Council sold the land to Rocketfine in 1998 and Burnley Council granted planning permission in 2001 -- on the condition road safety was improved on Clevelands Road because of the expected increase in traffic.

However, last year the company appealed to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister against the council's refusal to scrap the condition.

A suggestion by the council was for the firm to fund signs showing weight restrictions in force in the area.

The planning inspectorate has ruled it was unfair for Rocketfine to have to submit such a proposal for the scale of the development.

Clevelands Road resident Roger Williams sympathised with Rocketfine. He agreed it was unfair to ask the company to pay for signs but said it should still have to contribute to traffic calming.

He added: "The residents have been left with speeding traffic coming up Clevelands."

Trinity ward councillor Tony Lambert said the he was pleased with the quality of the development and that it had eradicated juvenile nuisance from the site but blasted Rocketfine for not stumping up the cash.

He said: "I think it is petty them getting out of £3,000 for traffic calming. For that development £3,000 is nothing. The fact that they have got out of it is a disgrace."

Dominic Barnes, the managing director of Rocketfine, said half the homes were already occupied.

He said: "We appealed against the council's Draconian and unfair request for us to provide traffic calming measures that have nothing to do with the development. Obviously the right decision was made.

"There never have been any complaints before, during or after the appeal process. This will not put us off working in Burnley, it has a great future."

A spokesman for Burnley Council, which is responsible for installing road signs, confirmed Rocketfine paying for weight restriction signs would have satisfied the planning condition.

He added: "Unfortunately the council has no money budgeted to pay for these signs and unless money can be identified from elsewhere in the budget the signs won't go up."