A TRANSPORT museum's plan for a storage and restoration building at Belthorn has been blocked by Hyndburn councillors.

East Lancashire Municipal Transport Museum wanted a building to store and carry out restoration work to its collection of public service vehicles.

But Hyndburn development services committee said the industrial appearance of the building with profiled steel cladding would be unsightly within the green belt at Sough Lane Farm, Sough Lane.

The museum was asked to "soften" the look of the building, but said security was paramount at the secluded site and it had to be as fireproof and vandal-proof as possible.

The group has occupied the site for many years without any planning permission, councillors were told.

Committee chairman Coun George Slynn called for negotiations to continue with the museum to try to achieve a better site layout.

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