RESIDENTS and councillors have thanked health bosses after they scrapped plans for an addicts' centre near their homes.

More than 2,000 people had signed a petition against NHS East Lancashire's plans for a drugs and alcohol resource centre at the Peel Centre, a former GP surgery in Avenue Parade, Accrington.

Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said he had submitted a letter to the NHS East Lancashire board, ahead of their meeting today, asking that the project be put on hold while other sites, including the Accrington Pals and Acorn centres in the town are looked at.

And Hyndburn MP Greg Pope had also asked the primary care trust to reconsider, while the borough’s council leader Peter Britcliffe had said he could not support the proposals, urging bosses to look at town centre sites such as the Accrington Pals building instead.

Residents protested outside the PCT headquarters in Kenyon Road, Nelson, ahead of its board meeting yesterday, with the slogan "right idea – wrong place."

Trust chief executive David Peat met them, along with Labour councillors Graham Jones and Paul Barton, before the meeting, to announce that the search for a site would start again, with the Peel Centre no longer an option.

During the meeting, PCT chairman Kathy Reade said: "The residents are not saying 'not in my back yard'.

"They care deeply and want a facility to support people, but they had problems with the site for very good reasons."

Avenue Parade is in one of Hyndburn's most highly-populated areas.

Residents said they were concerned about anti-social behaviour, but also addicts' confidentiality.

Coun Jones said: "This was going ahead, but after talking to residents, Mr Peat and Mrs Reade have turned round their position.

"It takes very brave people to do that.

"It is a great credit to them, and I am sure the residents feel the same."