RESIDENTS may pay a heavy price for a decision by councillors to allow a housing development on land in Billington, a protester has warned.

Ribble Valley borough councillors could find no legitimate reasons to refuse the application by Redrow Homes, which had been given outline planning permission to build 49 homes with garages last year.

But Joe Sykes, of Calder Avenue, cited contaminated land, the risk of flooding and fears over a former landfill site and railway embankment as reasons to halt the development.

He said: "The truth will out, but the price that may have to be paid, either by present or future generations, may be too high for anyone to pay."

And added that the council should arrange a "rigorous" investigation of the Whalley New Road site before making a decision.

Planning officer John Macholc said that reports had been compiled by the relevant authorities covering all of the residents' concerns and none of them had thrown up any problems. Coun Graham Sowter told a public gallery packed with more than 30 residents that the council could not find any lawful reason to refuse the application.

"There is no legal way we can turn this down," he said.

Nine councillors supported the plans, with many others abstaining, but permission was granted.

The original plans for 57 executive homes on the site, which was acquired by Redrow from Holden Homes, were given outline planning permission last year after a 12-year row with local residents.

Residents have maintained the development would blight the countryside and cause traffic chaos, but their attempts to block the plans were hampered earlier last year when Lancashire County Council approved a traffic scheme aimed at improving access to the site.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.