NEARBY residents have tried to put a spoke in the wheel of plans for East Lancashire’s new mental health headquarters.

Seven neighbours have submitted a petition objecting to the scheme to Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust wants to build an initial 72-bed unit on land between Shadsworth Road and Haslingden Road, Blackburn, with an anticipated opening in 2017.

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Later, a further 36 in-patient beds and an eight-bed psychiatric intensive care unit will come online later.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive board approved the sale of the 10-acre site to the trust on November 13, bringing to an end a seven-year debate, which has seen several other sites suggested for the county’s mental health services.

Land at the Pendle beauty spot Gib Hill was originally proposed in 2008, with Colne’s Regent Street, Burnley General Hospital and Shuttleworth Mead, near Padiham, all considered and rejected.

Last week the borough planning committee noted a petition from seven residents of the local area opposing the plan.

Their objections include fears over security of the new site, no consideration given to residents by the trust, worry about night disturbance, parking and traffic, noise and loss of privacy.

The hospital aims to have a ‘non-institutional’ outlook, around a central ‘street’, connecting the wards with a cafe, shop, tribunal rooms, hall and fitness suite.

The new unit will eventually replace wards at Burnley General and the Pendle View and Hill View units at the former Queen’s Park Hospital site.

It will also end the saga of Blackburn’s Medi-Knowledge Park conceived in 2006 and abandoned last year.

The £25million medical and science business park was supposed to create 1,000 jobs on 15 acres but only 3.8 acres were developed.

The mental health scheme would involve three functional acute and three advanced care wards positioned to the back of the site away from Shadsworth Road, benefitting from generous landscaping, natural light and views across the countryside.

Alistair Rose, of Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “As part of the plans to develop a new inpatient unit in Pennine Lancashire, the Trust held a number of drop in sessions for local residents to discuss the project and talk through any concerns they may have.”.