Fire-ravaged Blackburn plastics site could be cleared within weeks, paving way for 88 social housing units

Work was being done to the former V10 Polymers site on Paterson Street in Blackburn on Thursday in order to make the site accessible for emergency services in the unfortunate event there should be any future fires.

The V10 Polymers site on Paterson Street

But landowner, Dennis Rogers, says he wants to begin clearing the site - which is a plague on the area and an eyesore for people living in nearby streets - as soon as possible so building can begin on a social housing development which will see 88 units erected on the three acre piece of land.

Mr Rogers, whose company Driftdale Ltd, took ownership of the site in 2017, was granted planning permission to build on the land during the first lockdown, and it has now become a dumping ground for bin bags, rubbish and fly-tippers; a haven for anti-social behaviour, and paradise for breeding rats.

The V10 Polymers site on Paterson Street

He said: "We bought the site and got planning permission to build 88 low-cost social housing units during the first lockdown, and we have an end user ready to take on the properties so they can rent them to families.

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"We were approved late for a grant from the Government to clear it, a landfill tax relief, but it expired in March before we could use it. Then it was torched in February and now every time we try and contact the Environment Agency for help they just say they will come back to me, but they never do.

The V10 Polymers site on Paterson Street

"We now can't afford to clear the site because the tax relief grant has expired, and it would cost just as much to clear it as it would to start building on it.

"We're not asking for any more money, we just need the EA to stop taxing the landfill and help us to clear it so we can start building and start improving the area."

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Mr Rogers said his company has full backing from both the council and Blackburn's MP, Kate Hollern, and wants to begin building before the end of the year so the area can be restored, revamped, and Blackburn with Darwen Council can fill some of the social housing spaces they so desperately need.

The aftermath of the 2017 December fire

He added: "There will be 64 houses and 24 apartments, and once built it will much improve the area, bring some vibrancy back to the neighbourhood, increase house prices, and keep other residents happy.

"Blackburn desperately needs this, and as soon as the site is cleared within a year we would hope to see people living here."

A photo taken in 2017 after the V10 Polymers site was torched. Pic: Michelle Ayres

Mr Rogers says it will take around 10 weeks to clear the mounds of rubbish, with building work undertaken in phases, and in theory, by Autumn 2022, if it's cleared within the next three months, they could have the development complete.

Carole Davis who runs the Clifton Arms which backs onto the Polymers site said she will be delighted when clearing finally begins.

She said: "The site is an eyesore and you can see it from the canal and from the back of the pub.

"People are constantly dumping rubbish at the side of the pub near to the site's back gates and we can't wait until it's cleared and the housing is built.

"It will do wonders for the area and there's even rumour that some retail or commercial units could be built on the land too. It's about time this area of Blackburn had something to look forward to."

Cllr Damian Talbot and MP Kate Hollern were approached for comment.