A DARTON councillor has resigned from the regulatory planning board because land at the former North Gawber Colliery site could be redeveloped to make way for 250 houses.

Coun John Parkinson, of Darton East ward, is to campaign on residents' behalf against the proposed development by Gladedale South Yorkshire.

At an exhibition at Mapplewell and Staincross Village Hall on March 27, Gladedale displayed its proposals for the site on Carr Green Lane, Mapplewell.

They included a mix of housing types from one bedroom apartments to five bedroom detached houses, with 15 percent of properties allocated for low cost homes.

Traffic lights and a crossing were planned for the junction at Blacker Road and Mapplewell Drive.

Coun Parkinson says the first elected members knew about the plans was a small public notice in the Barnsley Chronicle.

He added: "I immediately had a meeting with the council's senior planning officers as I am totally against any development on the land.

"I was told that in accordance with the council's unitary development plan this land is not scheduled for any development and any planning application submitted for this will be refused.

"While i am happy with what I have been told I do not believe we should be complacent and will be calling a meeting in the very near future to listen to residents in the area to find out what they would like doing with the land. After all they live next to it."