AMBITIOUS developers are planning to create a £13million housing estate in Rossendale.

McDermott Developers, based in Burnley, plan to build 194 family homes at land in the Douglas Road and Tongue Lane area of Bacup.

And the development was today welcomed by campaigners in the area who worked tirelessly to prevent travellers from erecting a caravan site on the land last year.

Planners at Rossendale Council are considering the application under reserved matters.

The plan is to build an estate made up of two-storey "traditional" homes ranging from three- bedroom semi-detached properties to four-bedroom detached houses.

All will include gardens and driveways and most will come complete with integral garages.

Janet Ruffley, senior planning officer at Rossendale Council, said: "The Rossendale District Plan states that the land has been designated for housing.

"The developers are planning to build on a similar note to the ones recently built at Loveclough which have proved popular."

Andrew Darbyshire, development manager, said: "We have identified a gap in the market as there hasn't been a significant build in the area for quite some time.

"The site was granted planning permission back in 1966 which has been earmarked in the local district plan for development.

"We are aiming to provide housing for people in Bacup who want something different from the traditional terraced home and those people who want to move to Bacup from places such as Burnley and Rochdale.

"We have been out and spoken to residents who all seem to be glad to hear that something is happening after the travellers applied to build a caravan site up there."

Kerry Bradley, of the Irwell Valley Residents' Trust, said: "We support this application after we fought to block the caravan site.

"We believe that it will help to improve Bacup."