A controversial proposal to partially fill in a moorland beauty spot for a fishing lake put on hold in October last year is back on the agenda. A planning application submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council for the redevelopment of Wards Reservoir in Belmont, popularly known as "The Blue Lagoon", was withdrawn after concerns about its impact on the local environment. It had generated a string of objections including from North Turton Parish Council, the Environment Agency, West Pennine councillor Jean Rigby, the RSPB, The Wildlife Trust, and the borough's highways department.
A meeting of Belmont Village Residents' Association also expressed concern. As a result, council planning officers ruled a special Environmental Impact Assessment must be undertaken before any planning application can be considered as the proposal would have "significant effects on the environment". West Pennine ward Conservative Cllr Neil Slater has called for full consultation on any new proposals now that the applicant Bromsgrove-based Blue Lagoon Heritage Ltd has indicated that another application - its third -is being prepared.
A scoping report has been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council on the firm's behalf by MWP Planning. It says: "This report is written in support of a hybrid planning application to be submitted for engineering works to partially infill and restore the redundant Wards Reservoir and change of use to fishing lake including means of access, and outline planning applicati.