PLANS for East Lancashire's new £35million mental health hospital have hit another hitch.

Councillors on Pendle Council are being urged to back a motion stating that Gibb Hill, on the Nelson and Colne border, one of two preferred sites, is not for sale.

It comes after Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle said the other option - greenbelt at Shuttleworth Mead in Padiham - would struggle to obtain planning permission.

Lancashire Care NHS Trust, which runs psychiatric care across the county, wants to build four central units for adults with mental health problems in a £150 million investment to replace 15 smaller units.

Each of the four new super-hospitals will cater for around 200 patients, but with private rooms and better facilities.

The one proposed for either Gibb Hill or Shuttleworth Mead will serve the whole of East Lancashire.

The Gibb Hill proposal was discussed at a meeting of Pendle Council's Nelson Committee.

A letter from Pendle Council Chief Executive Stephen Barnes was read to the meeting. In it, he said the facility would bring 450 jobs, propserity and improve public transport.

The letter read: "The planned facility could bring in investment of £10 million into the borough.

"Pendle is currently under represented in public sector jobs.

"It will also counter the drift of health facilities to to Blackburn...and offer access to people who have severe long term health problems."

But Coun Mohammed Iqbal, leader of the Labour group, laid the motion before the committee, which asked the council to write to all potential developers to say the Gib Hill site was not for sale-now or in the future.

He also asked for the site to be designated an area of outstanding beauty to protect it for the people of Pendle.

Coun Iqbal said: "What the chief executive's statement doesn't say is how much the site will sell for because we are talking about millions of pounds here.

"The letter sent out to the resident beggars belief because it basically says they would flog Gibb Hill.

"As far as we are concerned it is not for sale and should not be marketed through the back door.

"We ask the executive to act now by writing an open letter to developers to say that Gib Hill is not for sale at this time or any time in the future."

The plans have angered local residents, whose campaign, RAGE - Residents Against Gib Hill Exploitation, is fighting the scheme.

Azhar Ali, spokesman for RAGE and former Pendle Council leader, told the meeting the site was "the last green lung between Nelson and Colne."

Coun Iqbal's motion will go to the executive for consideration.