More than 20 years since a road along the track of the old Colne-Skipton railway to ease traffic congestion at the end of the M65 was first talked about – and with increased speculation the line could be reopened – Lancashire County Council is now looking at alternative routes.

This would mean any road would start and finish at a new motorway intersection between Nelson and Colne, and pass through the countryside on the Colne-Barrowford boundary, where previous development has always been strongly resisted.

And with the prospects of new roads being built around Ormskirk and Heysham (the two ahead of the local scheme in the current county structure plan) looking more unlikely on cost grounds, the chances are the local bypass will be at the top of the county's road building plans for 2011-2016.

And that could leave Pendle Council in a difficult position. For after years when a majority of councillors have supported the plans to build the bypass, a leading councillor has expressed doubts this is now the case.

Coun. David Whipp said: "I doubt whether a majority of councillors are now in favour of it and that puts a question mark against it. The top two schemes are too costly and we have got to re-assess our attitude towards this."

Executive members agreed a report from Executive Director (Regeneration) Mr Brian Cookson on the situation. This said: "The Joint Lancashire Structure Plan and Pendle Local Plan both protect a transport corridor along the line of the former railway.

"The A56 Villages Bypass has been ranked as third priority major road scheme in the county's local transport plan. The intention is that a scheme is developed in this 2006-11 plan for implementation in the 2011-16 plan.

"Recent work by various transport consultants has shown a business case might be made for reinstating the railway. The county council is therefore evaluating alternative routes for the road scheme, avoiding the railway formation.

"It is likely the bypass would now commence at a new junction on the M65 between Nelson and Colne."

In November, 1993, when the Conservative Government scrapped plans to build the eastward extension of the M65 through the South Valley of Colne and Winewall into Yorkshire, pressure groups in favour of and opposed to the building of the bypass were established locally and Pendle MP Gordon Prentice said he wanted to see an early start on its construction.