ALMOST 900 objections have been lodged against controversial plans to demolish a popular community centre and replace it with housing.

Keepmoat Homes want to knock down the Burnley Wood Community Centre, in Glebe Street, as part of their plans to build 117 new homes in the area.

Community centre users have campaigned strongly against the loss of the centre.

But despite the campaign, planning officers are recommending the plans are approved when the development control committee meet at Burnley Town Hall next Thursday.

Council planning officer Cathy Ryder said: “This is an important and significant development for Burnley Wood. It will support the continuation of ongoing regeneration work in the area.

“The proposed development forms phases three and four of the wider redevelopment to be undertaken by the council’s developer partner, Keepmoat.

“Work is already underway on phases one and two with many of the approved properties occupied.”

A total of 880 residents signed a pre-printed letter which said the closure of community centre would ‘kill the community’.

Campaigners said the centre provided somewhere for children to play and had been used by local people of all ages for over 100 years.

During the campaign nine-year-old Burnley Wood resident Charlie Warrender wrote to the Queen asking for Her Majesty’s intervention in the closure.

David Wroe, Keepmoat Homes new build managing director for the North West, said: “As a company we are passionate about regenerating urban communities and neighbourhoods rather than leaving them to decay.

“This is why nationally around 95 per cent of Keepmoat homes are built on brownfield sites.

“We are extremely proud of the work we are doing to deliver high-quality new homes as well as jobs and apprentices for the people of Burnley.”