An East Lancashire businessman is to pull out of a £1million investment in Hyndburn after his application to build a 'glamping' complex near Great Harwood was rejected by councillors for the third time.

Ian Robinson has had two previous planning applications to for 10 log cabins on an acre of land near the Dean Clough Reservoir beauty spot, off Blackburn Old Road, turned down.

Now his latest slimmed-down proposal for seven of the 'wigwam' style lodges and reception building in the protected green belt countryside, which generated six public objections, has been turned down by Hyndburn Council planning committee.

His outline application for the siting of glamping pods on land next to Blackleach Farm suggests a review of Hyndburn's development plan should remove the site from the protected green belt.

The impact of the glamping pods on the Green Belt was the reason for the two previous refusals.

On Wednesday the committee again rejected the proposal on Green Belt development grounds despite an attempt by three Conservative councillors to go against planning boss Simon Prideaux's recommendation to refuse it.

After the meeting former councillor Mr Robinson said: "This is a £1m investment.

"I will just go and spend it elsewhere now. They are missing out.

"I have got people who want to buy [the land] now I don't know what they propose to do with it. It could be caravans."

Baxenden Conservative Cllr Kath Pratt told the meeting she believes the proposal would be of economic benefit to the borough.

She said: "I think it would be quite an asset."

Her St. Oswalds ward Conservative colleague Cllr Susan Hayes said: "This would be substantially better then what it is now."

They were joined by Huncoat Tory Cllr Danny Cassidy in voting in favour voting to overturn the recommendation to refuse planning permission, which was confirmed by eight votes to three.

Church ward Conservative Cllr Loraine Cox said she did not see that the application demonstrated the 'very special circumstances' necessary to allow such a development in the Green Belt, but said that with more work on it approval might be granted in the future.

Huncoat Labour councillor Dave Parkins said: "This would be an intrusion into the Green Belt.

"It's a good idea but in the wrong place."

Mr Prideaux's report to the committee said: "The proposed development would constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would result in harm to Green Belt openness and encroachment into the countryside contrary to the purposes of Green Belt.

"No very special circumstances have been put forward which would outweigh the harm."