A PAT on the back goes to Ribble Valley Council which has refused a developer permission to build executive apartments in the area.

At last someone has taken a stand in a bid to stop rural areas becoming the exclusive preserve of the nouveau rich, much to the detriment of the community.

It's all very well running around in upmarket 4x4s which tackle nothing more arduous than the odd speed bump and Sainsbury's car park, but unless someone recognises ordinary people deserve the right to live in the areas in which they were born, the whole fabric of rural life is under threat.

What a terrible tragedy it is to be priced out of a home because you happen to have grown up in a 'nice area'.

The problem's so serious that one church group has warned about the 'hidden homelessness' in the area with young people forced to sleep on friends' sofas because they can't afford to buy or rent.

You suspect one planning decision wont stop the rot, but it's nice to see a stand being made for rural life for a bit of a change.