SPEEDING traffic and further housing development are the major threats to the rural life of peaceful Chapeltown say villagers.

More than 40 local people packed into the Broadhead Room at St Anne's Church last night to discuss ways in which they can safeguard their small community.

The meeting followed the publication of an Appraisal Report produced by Chapeltown Conservation Society which gathered the views of villagers through a comprehensive questionnaire.

The major problem, people at the meeting agreed, was the speed of traffic going through the village. That led to calls for tougher traffic calming measures than the signs proposed by Blackburn Council.

Several of the residents agreed though that the main culprits were local people rather than outsiders travelling through the village.

The society is now to press for road humps or other road restrictions to be introduced.

Villagers also want to see an improvement in public transport through the village. There were calls for the disused railway station, which was closed 35 years ago, to be reopened.

The other major problem villagers perceive is the threat from developers building more houses in the area and several people at the meeting were particularly worried about the possibility of development at the former rail station yard.

While welcoming day tourists to the village, many people do not want to see holiday accommodation built, fearing it could be a back door way of getting more permanent housing erected. "It would spoil the character of the village and spoil it not just for us but for a lot of people who like coming here," said society chairman Alec Bagley.

The Conservation Society, set up last year following an unsuccessful village bid to prevent a Redrow housing development, says it will continue to be vigilant and work with North Turton Parish Council to safeguard the area.

Projects already identified include finding a site for a village notice board and producing a guide to Chapeltown which will stress the history of the area.

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