New housing developments in Chorley have been given mixed reviews in a report by a government adviser on architecture.

The North West has some of the poorest quality new housing in England according to an audit published by CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.

Two local schemes were assessed in the review.

Persimmon's development, The Grange, Spendmore Lane, Coppull, was one of the estates that did not perform so well, scoring an 'average' rating of 55 per cent.

The report stated: "There is little around the site in terms of facilities. The residents have personalised the space and the private gardens are well-maintained.

"The area is difficult to navigate with few points of reference except a play area. The estate is next to fields, so more could have been made of the location."

In contrast, Westbury's Fairview Farm development, Adlington, scored 63 per cent and was given a 'good' rating.

The report said: "A good mix in type of housing on estate with fairly high quality materials throughout. Attention to detail with degree of architectural styling.

"There is a play area, pub, shops and services nearby. However, roads are dominant and there is not much thought given to the pedestrian.

"The estate has no visitor car parking. The development falls down on layout - it is very poor with very windy streets which make it difficult to navigate."

CABE now wants the government to look at monitoring the design quality of new housing and for local planning authorities to get tougher in rejecting bad design.

Richard Simmons, the organisation's chief executive, said: "The North West has suffered from its fair share of standard generic housing types that developers roll out across the country. In a few years, when we audit these regions again, good design should be the norm not the exception.

"CABE believes the latest housing audit creates a critical opportunity to identify ways to improve the design quality of new housing."