REVISED plans have been submitted for a controversial housing scheme in Darwen.

Last year, Blackburn with Darwen Council planners refused permission for nine new homes on land off Moorthorpe Cottage in Park Road.

An appeal has since been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate but now a new application for four homes on the same site has also been made.

The original scheme was thrown out over concerns about the scale of the development and applicants say the newly proposed plans go some way to addressing those concerns.

In refusing the original application, committee members agreed with campaigning residents that the roads around the development were too narrow and proposals to cut down protected trees were unacceptable.

The application had been deferred previously after members asked for more information about the width of access roads.

Residents living nearby the proposed development raised a number of concerns with the council as part of a consultation into the original application, with more than 40 letters of objection received.

Among the issues raised were insufficient access and poor visibility on surrounding roads, as well as potential damage to the habitat of any wildlife near the proposed development.

Government planning inspectors are now seeking written representations from interested parties, including the council and the developers.

A decision on the appeal will be taken once the deadline for representations has passed.

In the meantime, council bosses will assess the new application on its own merits.

A spokesman for the developers said: "An outline application was submitted in 2018 for the erection of nine dwellings with detached garages.

"The application was recommended for approval at two committee meetings, however it was later refused by the committee.

"An appeal has been lodged, however it has not been determined.

"Without prejudice to the comments made on behalf of the applicant for the appeal, the current application seeks to address the committee’s concerns and reason for refusal.

"The new outline application proposes to erect four detached dwellings with detached garages."

Although detail on layout is not included with this application, the site plan does illustrate how four houses could sit on the site."