A PLAN for up to 75 new homes in Blackburn has been branded as a 'blow for the community' by a councillor.

Cllr Michael Lee made the comments after the plan for the Old Blackburnians Football Club's Memorial Ground in Lammack Road was submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council.

The proposal has been put together jointly by applicants Old Blackburnians Association and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, who own the land.

Council bosses said that the housing developer, who will be employed by the applicants to construct the houses, will make a financial contribution to creating two new sports pitches in the area if the plan is approved later this year.

In 2014 the ground was expected to be sold for housing at an asking price of around £2m but the deal fell through.

Cllr Michael Lee, who represents Lammack on Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "It's a blow to the community and I would prefer the ground to be left as it is.

"It seems like the applicants are just interested in the value of the land instead of how important it is to the local community.

"People from the area and from further afield use the ground all the time and it's nice in a relatively built up area of the town to have such a large open space.

"The thinking must be that once planning permission has been granted that the value of the land will increase even more.

"It seems like the council are wanting to push through more housing developments so it is likely to get approved.

"If it does there will be more pressure on the local amenities which is an important consideration for the council."

The site was not included in the recently-approved Local Plan, a blueprint to develop industrial and housing plots in Blackburn with Darwen.

The council's regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley said that it was not included in the plan as the council did not know it existed at the time.

He said: "The council is in support of any plan that helps to bring quality housing to the area.

"We have an ambition for better housing and this is one of the applications than can see that achieved."

The club was originally formed by old boys of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in 1920 but them reformed in 1925, celebrating its 90th anniversary last year.

The Old Blackburnians Association and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School were unavailable for comment yesterday.