A 'DANGER' pavement built as a safety measure is putting mums with babies in pushchairs in peril, it was claimed today.

The new footpath was built by Pendle Council to take pedestrians off a road.

But today parents claimed that it is so narrow that prams and wheelchairs can't use it, forcing them further into the road to run the gauntlet of passing traffic.

Today, the Disability Rights Commission said local authorities should consider the needs of disabled residents during the planning process.

But Pendle Council said there were no regulations governing footpath widths - and it has no plans to change the pavement.

West Craven councillors asked for the pavement at the Green End Road and New Road junction as a safety measure as part of the conditions for the council giving itself controversial planning permission for 50 houses on land at Bawhead Road.

Today they demanded a report from highways, engineering and design services department staff into why the pavement has been made the way it has.

Residents said the path was 'useless' and putting their lives in danger.

Wheelchair user Margaret Turner, 43, of Royd Road, said: "I can't get on to it, it's too small. I've got to go out into the road which is more unsafe. It's useless."

Mum-of-three Cheryl Richardson, 36, of Wentcliffe Drive, said: "It's really hard work. I either have to put the toddler on the path and the pram on the road or the toddler in the road and the pram on the path. It's very dangerous and if you've got shopping bags as well you've no chance. You'd never get a double pram on.

"It's very busy at any time of the day. It's useless and it's made the situation worse. You've got to go on a blind corner in the middle of the road to get round with a pram and a toddler."

Bawhead Road resident Alison Brewer said: "It's made Earby more unsafe. The pavement was made because it's a blind corner and it's exacerbated the problem. This is indicative of Pendle Council which claims to put people first."

Coun David Whipp said:"The width of the road and the way they have widened it to leave a half width pavement does make it more dangerous.

"People in wheelchairs and prams are thrown further into the carriageway than they already were. There wasn't any existing footpath. People walked in the carriageway next to the wall. It really is a difficult area and I do think that needs to be looked at.

"We have requested a report to the area committee."

All local authorities will have to consider the needs of disabled people from December 2006 but disability campaigners say they should already be thinking about the needs of the whole community.

A spokesman for the Disability Rights Commission said: "From December next year public authorities will need to have shown they have considered the needs of disabled people.

"Unless there was some physical reason why they couldn't have a wider footpath they would have to explain themselves. It would save a lot of money and trouble if they thought about who would be using it beforehand. We would be encouraging local authorities to consider disabled people as members of the community."

A Pendle Council spokesman said: "The pavement was constructed over the last few weeks.

"There are no regulations for minimum pavement widths, and the width of the pavement at Green End Road / New Road junction is governed by the width of the New Road.

"There are no plans to make any changes to the pavement at this stage.

"Pedestrian safety is important to us - before the recent work, there was no pavement at all on this busy junction. In addition, we will shortly be consulting local residents to get their views on the possible introduction of 20mph speed limits in the area."