RESIDENTS were celebrating today after a coal storage and distribution yard planned for Blackrod was rejected by planning chiefs.

Dozens of locals packed into Bolton Council's planning meeting, some wearing miners' hats, in a last-ditch attempt to show their contempt for the proposals.

And they were joined by Father Christmas in a bid to attract as much attention to their cause as possible.

Despite being recommended by officers for refusal, residents feared that councillors at the meeting would give the plans the go-ahead anyway.

But councillors agreed unanimously to refuse the plans, which would have affected the Station Road area of the town.

They expressed their concerns about traffic safety and congestion and said that, if the proposals went ahead, it would mean years of noise, dust and contamination.

Council leader Bob Howarth said: "For all the reasons given and more we are happy to refuse this application."

Campaign leader Janet Fletcher was delighted by the decision. She said: "We have worked hard on this campaign and have had weekly meetings and received so much support.

"Even Father Christmas is opposed to coal -- after all he has to watch out for lit fires on Christmas Eve.

"The right decision has been made and we are just hoping that they do not appeal."

The campaign against the storage yard included 600 letters of objection.

Residents argued that access to the land off Station Road did not meet the council's own highways regulations, the application lacked adequate detail and there were already environmental problems at an nearby site after planning permission was given to Dickinsons, who own the land, for a recycling plant in 1999.

The Dickinson family, well known as transport contractors in Horwich and Blackrod for more than 70 years, has repeated its promise that the coal yard will not be built on the land. VICTORIOUS: Father Christmas joins residents to celebrate after the Blackrod coal yard proposal is thrown outRef: J3609/20a