A FRESH bid to regenerate part of Burnley Wood has been dismissed as looking like something out of ‘Playschool’.

Plans for three-storey terraced homes, in a L-shape configuration, had been drawn up by Accent Housing Association for land off Sussex Street and Huffling Lane.

But the eight properties, six terraced and two semi-detached homes, which would have been built on a clearance site, were rejected by Burnley’s development control committee as being too ‘out-of-place’.

Council planning manager Sue Graham said that the developer had tried to take a modern approach when dealing with Burnley Wood’s traditional Victorian terracing.

The nearby Hirst Gardens, a similar example, had also come in for criticims, she added.

Mrs Graham said: "Some people like, some people don’t. But the residents love it and they were involved in the design of it."

And Coun David Heginbotham, who told the committee he had 50 years’ experience of the area, urged colleagues to approve the scheme.

"It’s about time Burnley Wood was taken in hand and brought into the 21st century," said Coun Heginbotham.

"The schools have lost a lot of children and as soon as we start to get improvements like this then we will improve the uptake.

"We have taken the heart out of the community and it is time to put it back. This could be the first step to regenerating the area."

Supporting approval, Coun Tony Lambert said: "This is an Elevate area, it looks acceptable and we should be supporting this."

But Coun Derek Dawson said: "It looks like something out of Playschool or something out of Dodge City."

And Coun Maureen McCaffrey added: "I am all for development in Burnley Wood but this looks like it should be given more thought."

Councillors were also concerned about proposed parking spaces overhanging the pavement off Duke Street and rejected the application.