A COLNE county councillor said today residents would be "disappointed" with plans for a controversial new art project.

Coun Tim Ormrod spoke against plans for an oval structure in Wycoller Park, Trawden, as part of the Panopticons project, which have been approved by Lancashire County Council.

The Panopticons, also planned for Burnley, Ribble Valley and Rawtenstall, are designed to attract more visitors and investment to East Lancashire and encourage better use of the countryside by installing art structures.

Pendle's sculpture will be a four-metre-high, oval-shaped building coated with bronze. A mirrored sphere will hang on the inside and another will be placed elsewhere in the park.

Coun Ormrod said a number of residents had asked him to oppose the plans and told the council's development control committee he felt the sculpture would be inappropriate in such an important part of the Lancashire countryside with so much heritage value.

The committee voted by nine votes to three to approve the plans.

Coun Ormrod said today: "I know that the Colne people will be disappointed with this outcome but I tried my very best to represent their views.

"The committee has a responsibility to be objective and impartial about planning matters and they listened to everything I said.

"Some of them could see the points I made were important and at the end of the debate, although a majority voted for the application, a few were obviously persuaded to vote against it."