£10m plans for new Huncoat link road

4:40pm Sunday 5th October 2008

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PLANS for a multi-million pound road through green belt land to link two waste sites have moved a step closer.

The plans for the £10million single carriageway link road have now been submitted to Hyndburn Council for approval at a planning meeting later this year.

It has also been revealed following a consultation the road will be developed on the smallest part of green belt land as possible.

Residents have expressed mixed feelings for the road but welcomed news that it would reduce pollution and noise through Huncoat.

If it is given the green light the planning committee will for the second time given the go ahead to build on greenbelt land in Huncoat.

Last month residents were left angry when the council chose to grant permission for a new industrial estate which will create 600 jobs on green belt land on the former Huncoat Power Station site.

The new road to the planned Huncoat Waste Technology Park will link to nearby Whinney Hill tip and aims to take lorries off residential roads.

Wagons will be able to access both waste sites from a new junction at the Griffin roundabout in Burnley Road, Huncoat.

At present lorries access the existing tip by either coming off at junction seven of the M65 and going up through Whalley Road and onto Whinney Hill Road, or off at junction eight, down Burnley Road and through the centre of Huncoat along Highergate, Lowergate and Station Road.

Paul Gott, Labour councillor for the Huncoat ward, said: “The road will take waste traffic away from the village It is a case of a devil in the blue sea.

“The plans have been moved and the road is as close to the M65 as possible but it will still reduce greenbelt land.

“The road will take noise and pollution out of the village, if it takes heavy goods vehicles away from the village it will be a blessing.”

Construction of the waste centre and link road is planned to start in September next year.