Pledge to protect land from housing

Peter and Maxine Callow, who represent Norbreck on Blackpool Council, say town hall planners have contacted them about a potential scheme coming forward for land at Warren Drive.

The site has been at the centre of a number of planning battles going back more than a decade.

In 2008 campaigners lost a bid to create a town green on land between Warren Drive, Deerhurst Road and All Saints Road.

Asda, which owns a strip of the land adjacent to Warren Drive, secured planning permission in 2004 to build offices there but has never gone ahead with the scheme.

Coun Maxine Callow said: “When the Conservatives were in power we put it into the town plan that this area had to be kept as open space.

“Now we have had a phone call from the town hall to say builders want to buy the land and build houses there.

“We are very concerned, particularly as there have been problems with flooding.

“As it stands, if the offices aren’t built there will be no development at all in that area and there is unlikely to be demand for offices here.

“We need open spaces in Blackpool and so we are concerned this has suddenly reared its head again.

“The residents will be up in arms once they know about it.”

The council owns the land enclosed by Warren Drive, Ashfield Road, Fleetwood Road and All Saints Road.