A plan for new apartments in a historic Pendle town has been criticised as an imitation ‘pastiche’ of a textile mill with no relevance to the old saw mill site it would replace.

Furthermore, plans for non-traditional building materials would harm the look of the area and a lack of car parking would create problems, objectors fear.

Applicant Faisal Mahmood, of Burnley-based developer Premier Vue, wants planning permission to demolish a two-storey building at Sandy Lane Business Centre in Barrowford and replace it with six apartments across a two and three-storey building.

He is working with agent Andrew Wolstenholme of AW+A Architects based at Worston, Lancashire.

No off-road parking is proposed and the location is in an area of terraced housing with no parking either.

However, the site is within walking distance to local amenities including public transport, it is said. Lancashire County Council has recommended pavements along Garnett Street be widened as part of the work and the junction with Sandy Lane be improved.

Pendle Council planning officers believe the new plan is acceptable, if conditions are attached including site contamination tests. However, Barrowford Parish Council has raised various objections.

A Pendle planning report states: “The parish council submits that, historically, this building has never been associated with the cotton industry and was never any form of mill.

"The site was originally part of Calder Vale Sawmill with a stone building to the rear and a timber yard. The existing building was built prior to 1910 and was initially used as the Oddfellows’ Lodge before later becoming a working men’s club, which existed under various names until the late 1980s.”

Continuing the town council objections, the report states:  “The use of the term ‘mill’ is an excuse to over-develop the site with a generic pastiche of a mill building which has no foundation in truth.

"The site is in the Newbridge character area and the proposed dwellings would detract from that through both size and massing.

“The site has had previous planning permission for four flats, but that was passed a number of years ago when two car parks existed between Lowerclough Street and Joseph Street.

"The proportions of Sandy Lane and Garnett Street preclude parking on both sides of the road and are already over-subscribed by existing homes and the MOT garage.”

The town council also says the proposals would not provide any off-road car parking for the potential 12-plus cars that could come along with the apartments and should be refused because of this.

It also says design and materials, especially the use of artificial stone within the character area, should be resisted. Existing buildings outside the character area and those pre-dating its adoption should not be seen as justification to use non-traditional materials, the town council believes.

Three comments have come from neighbours about a lack of car parking currently and in the redevelopment plans, and concern about the occupants the new development might attract.

Pendle planning officers are recommending councillors to approve the application with conditions. These include a site investigation for any contamination which could impact on local waterways, which the Environment Agency has recommended.

It says the previous use as a mill presents a high risk of contamination that could be ‘mobilised’ during construction to pollute controlled waters, which are particularly sensitive in this location.

Pendle’s Barrowford and Western Parishes committee will consider the plan this week.