A multi-million pound holiday village will be built on rural land in Blackburn after years of waiting.

Planning permission was granted last night for Pleasington Lakes – a development in Feniscowles of 94 holiday homes and three leisure lakes, with a car park – despite opposition from residents.

Manchester developers Castleland Ltd first proposed plans for a holiday village in Lower Whitehalgh Farm in 2007.

The 112-acre development, opposed by residents from the outset, had been scaled down since it was first unveiled.

Initially Castleland Ltd proposed that 120 log cabins, five leisure lakes, wildlife reserves, a restaurant and a gym be created on the site off Stockclough Lane between Brokenstone Road and the M65.

After years of submitting, withdrawing and resubmitting planning applications, permission was finally granted by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning committee.

It comes despite a planning inspector throwing out an application in January after a public inquiry.

Castleland has always said the Pleasington Lakes scheme would transform what became an eyesore site after illegal fly-tipping in 1999 and 2000. Castleland Ltd representative Bethany Burton, of WYG Planning, said: “I think we all recognise this is a difficult site with a complex history. The planning inspector was comfortable with the idea of a holiday village at the site.”

She said the homes had been repositioned and would be built on one fifth of the site and that the development would pump £6million into the local economy.

Coun Alan Cottam said: “It is not a tourist area, it is a residential area. This will become a low cost housing development.”

Coun Paul Browne said he thought it would be good for the borough.