HUNDREDS of Burnley residents have objected against the council's decision to demolish their community centre to make way for 117 homes.

Lib Dem councillor Jeff Sumner led a delegation of campaigners from Glebe Street community centre to Burnley Town Hall to hand over more than 700 written objections.

Coun Sumner has called into question Labour council leader Julie Cooper’s claims that the council had asked developers Keepmoat whether it would be possible to keep the centre.

He said: “Planners put a 16 page document together on the plans for this area and there was a quote from Keepmoat, but nowhere has it been said that Keepmoat would not build around the community centre.”

The letters were handed in on Thursday, the final day for objections to be lodged.

But a Burnley Council spokesman said the housing giants had been approached, but did not want to divert from their agreed plans, and so the application would have to be approved.

Mike Waite said: “It is the case that, in the run up to the planning application being considered, a range of different options were talked about, involving different configurations of housing.

“By the time of the Development Control Committee, the choice before the councillors was whether to approve or decline the actual planning application which Keepmoat had submitted. The democratic decision taken was to approve the application.”

Earlier this week, trustees at the community centre said they were waiting to hear whether they can keep the keys to the building until Christmas.

A letter had been delivered to group teasurer Adrianne Boys, from Burnley Council, asking for the keys to be handed over by midnight on Monday.

But trustees said they need time to remove their property from the building and have pleaded to stay until after their Christmas parties are held next month.

Adrianne Boys said: “It’s like waiting for cement to dry waiting to see if we can keep the keys.”