Issa Bros plan for controversial Burnley units urged for nod

This latest proposal, aimed at creating more than 100 jobs, will be debated by councillors on Thursday night.

The firm's initial detailed plan for the commercial/warehouse buildings on nine acres of land at Titanium Park near Junction 9 of the M65 was rejected by councillors in June 2022.

Burnley Council's development control committee over-rode planning officers' advice and ruled two of the units were too high.

Monte Blackburn Ltd, the property arm of EG Group founders Mohsin and Zuber Issa's business empire, which had purchased the site in Magnesium Way in October 2021 for millions of pounds, appealed the decision to the government's planning inspectorate.

In January last year, inspector M J Francis upheld the decision based on the warehouses' impact on surrounding houses.

The plans include improvements to the Padiham Greenway

He highlighted the fact two of them would exceed the maximum ridge height of seven metres for buildings on that part of the business park included in the Burnley Local Plan.

Opponents of the scheme, led by Clare Hales, chair of the Burnley Bridge Action Group, were delighted with the appeal result.

Now Monte Blackburn has submitted a new application for the three units to Burnley Council reducing the maximum ridge height of all the buildings to below seven metres.

It also includes improvements to the nearby Padiham Greenway.

It will be considered by Burnley Council's development control committee on Thursday night.

A planning officer's report recommends councillors approve the detailed scheme with 33 conditions.

This is despite an objection from the Burnley Bridge Action Group and eight similar letters from nearby residents.

They include concerns about noise, disturbance, impact on utilities and drainage, traffic and visual overshadowing.

The officer's report says: "This application seeks to overcome the single reason for refusal by way of reducing the proposed maximum ridge height of units A and B to below seven metres.

"The application site forms the northern part of Burnley Bridge Business Park.

"With the exception of the application site, the business park is now fully developed.

"The stated benefits of the proposal are the delivery of modern units capable of providing business accommodation for a range of potential occupiers and result in the creation of circa 128 full-time equivalent positions and the provision of the bus link from Burnley through the site to the southern area of Padiham.

"The proposed development would deliver 9,940 square metres of new employment space within a range of modern buildings as part of a wider and successful business park.

"This will contribute significantly towards the council’s identified employment land supply, support the local economy and provide new employment opportunities within the borough."