Fire crews spent three hours battling yet another blaze at Blackburn’s infamous former plastics site.

Just after midnight last Wednesday (March 20), crews from Blackburn, including the stinger appliance, were called to the former V10 Polymers site on Paterson Street after waste on the land went up in flames.

The site has been plagued by fires for years, with residents frustrated that nothing is being done with the land, and plans to develop it have seemingly stalled.

In July 2023 the owner of the site was ordered to clear up the land or the council said they would charge him for doing it.

The former plastic factory went up in flames in February 2023 for the fifth time in as many years.

Five fire engines attended the incident with crews drawing water from the canal to battle the flames, while police cordoned off the area around Mosley Street and Derham Street.

Since as far back as 2017, various landowners have promised to clear the rubbish and make good with the piece of land.

READ MORE: Former V10 Polymers owner avoids jail over fires at waste site

In 2021, work was being done in order to make it accessible for emergency services in case of future fires.

However, there has been at least three more fires since then, one in May 2022, one in February 2023 and the one last week (March 21, 2024).

Following the site access work carried out in 2021, landowner, Dennis Rogers said he wanted to begin clearing the site, which is a blight on the area and an eyesore for people living in nearby streets, so building could commence on a social housing development.

He was granted planning permission for the social housing development of 88 units but nothing subsequently materialised.

Late approval for a grant from the government to clear the site - a landfill tax relief - expired in March 2021 before it could be used, with the Environment Agency also unable to help.

It is not known exactly what is happening with the site at present.

Following last week’s fire, a spokesperson for the fire service said: “On Thursday, March 21 at 12.24am, three fire engines from Blackburn and Darwen, and the stinger from Blackburn, attended a fire involving waste materials on Paterson Street in Blackburn.

“Firefighters used a water tower and a jet to extinguish the fire and were in attendance for approximately three hours and fifteen minutes.”