A controversial scheme to build 49 homes at the former Silentnight showroom site in Salterforth has been given the go-ahead.

Amended plans for the site off Kelbrook Road and Earby Road have been approved by West Craven Area Committee.

The plans – submitted by Broughton Estates and Seddon Homes – were amended to reduce the number of homes from 51 to 49 and to increase the number of spaces for a village car park from 20 to 30.

Currently, Silentnight allows villagers to use a 50-space car park at the site and residents were keen to retain full use of the facility.

“The village gains nothing out of this plan,” said Salterforth resident David Metcalfe. “My concern is that this car park should be taken out of the plans and left to the village.”

But Roberta Cameron, a consultant for Walsingham Planning, said: “This development will provide high quality homes and public car parking on the site and is an important feature in the plans. The car park will then be gifted to Salterforth Parish Council if they wish to receive it.”

She said work on the site would be “phased in” to allow all 30 car park spaces to be available “from the word go”.

She also said the scheme included traffic calming on Earby Road and bus stop improvements on Earby Road and Kelbrook Road.

Newly-elected Earby councillor Rosemary Carroll was also keen to make sure that 30 car park spaces would be available at all times during construction, and she wanted a legal agreement drawn up if the car park was gifted to the parish council.

She said: “It’s huge development, that’s why it’s so important for Salterforth that we get it right.”

Fellow Earby councillor Chris Tennant agreed, saying: “It’s a significant development and achieving a maximum amount of car parking in the long term is very important. On balance, we should approve this as it’s a scheme that can be lived with.”