WORK is set to begin on the £1million development of Burnley’s purpose-built register office.

The project, on the site of the former Todmorden Road junior school, will see a modern one-storey building created.

Registrars need a fully-accessible building in which to stage weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and council property officials eventually settled on the Todmorden Road site.

The register office is currently on Nicholas Street, and would need extensive refurbishment for disabled access.

County councillor Marcus Johnstone, cabinet member for community planning and Padiham and Burnley West division member, said: “The site has been chosen because it’s large enough to accommodate the new building and provide sufficient car parking for customers.

“The site also has good public transport links to the town centre and surrounding areas.”

The building will also house birth, marriage and death registration facil-ities.

Its ceremony room, which will also serve the Pendle area, can hold 80 guests – compared to 45 in the old building.

Conlon Construction Ltd has been appointed to develop the building.

The new office is scheduled to open next year.