Developers eye mill site homes

A PLANNING application has gone in for 47 homes on a former mill site.

Chandos Homes Ltd wants to build 12 two-bedroom homes, 33 three-bedroom houses and two four-bedroom homes on land off Britannia Street in Great Harwood.

They have applied to Hyndburn council to transform the old St Lawrence Mill site and remove 19 small units which are in poor condition.

Coun Noordad Aziz said the site is in ‘a great location’.

He said: “It has been a problem site for a number of years and we’ve had issues with flytipping and people dumping asbestos.

“It’s great that this planning application has come forward and it brings another brownfield site back into use and protects our Green Belt.

“Hopefully it will prove popular and will help with the regeneration of the area. We want to see nice quality housing to bring the area up and it’s in a great location right next to the town centre and the health centre.”

Planning documents state that there will be no affordable housing provision due to ‘significant’ remediation works needed to tackle areas of high flood risk and contaminated land.

A consultation was carried out with residents in May this year with 120 leaflets distributed to neighbouring properties.

The applicant said three respondents raised concerns over privacy and emergency vehicle access but said all the issues ‘have been taken into account when finalising the design scheme’.

The planning statement said: “In its current largely vacant and derelict state the site is considered to have a detrimental impact on the Britannia Street and the wider settlement given its prominent location. It is clear that the site is in need of regeneration.”

A decision will be made on the scheme in the next few months.