A TOWN suburb could get a new street of affordable houses and flats for rent if a planning application is approved.

A plan for 42 homes has been submitted for Mill Hill in Blackburn.

The scheme by Great Places Housing Association would create a new road of red brick properties on brownfield land of New Wellington Street.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has been asked to permit the building of eight two-bedroom flats, 10 three-bedroom apartments, 12 two-bedroom houses and 12 three-bedroom houses.

The development has been welcomed by Mill Hill and Moorgate ward's Cllr Jim Smith.

A Design and Access statement in support of the application by John McCall Architects says: "The proposed mix includes two-storey one and two-bedroom apartments and two storey two and three-bedroom houses, all with associated parking and all accessed off a new adoptable road.

"The development proposal has been designed to meet the local housing need and is located in a sustainable location, close to existing facilities and services

"It reuses a redundant brownfield site which has been a blight for an extended period of time.and sits comfortably alongside existing residential properties in the area.

"The site itself is a enclosed former industrial complex which has now been cleared to concrete slab level and now is mainly used for adhoc parking by nearby units.

"A single small former substation in the North-East corner of the site is the only structure which is now redundant and will be removed. The site is close to the centre of Mill Hill in a mixed industrial, retail and residential area and has a frontage onto the Leeds/ Liverpool canal.

"The proposed layout has been arranged to create a simple well defined street with a mix of semi-detached and short terrace units."

Cllr Smith said: "I welcome this scheme. It is a good use of the land.

"It will be an asset to Mill Hill which is an area on the up where a lot of building is going on. It is a good proposed development."

The proposed scheme references surrounding architectural details in its design. Rent levels will be up to 80 per cent of market rates