PENSIONER Sylvia Spellar’s plea to councillors to block plans for east Lancashire’s new mental-health headquarters failed — despite their own concerns about flooding and traffic.

The resident of Fancy Row said homes off Haslingden Road in Blackburn had suffered a nightmare of traffic and drainage problems since the development of Evolution Park.

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She asked members of the borough planning and highways committee to block the go-ahead for the scheme until the problems had been solved to residents’ satisfaction.

Members approved the three-stage, 116-bed development for psychiatric patients after officials agreed to call a drainage summit involving the council, nearby homeowners and developers early in the new year.

Mrs Spellar said that before the development of Evolution Park, M65 junction five at Guide and the Royal Blackburn Hospital, she had lived in a cottage in the country.

She said: “They promised proper drainage. Now it all flows towards our homes and water seeps into our gardens and kitchens. The traffic congestion is dreadful. This plan will only make things worse. Please to not approve until these problems have been solved.”

Her concerns were supported by councillors Paul Browne (Liberal Democrats), Don McKinlay (Labour), Ashley Whalley (Labour) and Mike Lee (Conservative).

Highways officer George Bell said the £2.8 million improvements to Haslingden Road and the Guide roundabout would ease traffic problems.

Following the granting of planning permission, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust will start building an initial 72-bed unit next year on land between Shadsworth Road and Haslingden Road, with an anticipated opening in 2017.

Later, a further 36 in-patient beds and an eight-bed psychiatric intensive-care unit will be constructed.