A DARWEN industry is in line for a £1million investment if expansion plans are backed by councillors.

Frank Barnes (Darwen) Limited have applied for planning permission to relocate its current waste transfer station operations into a new purpose-built building next to its existing site on Cross Street.

The building would be a 22.5-metre high portal framed light industrial unit built in the position of a former old stone mill building which was demolished.

It would house new recycling plant in a single room measuring 877 square metres.

Managing Director Steve Barnes said: “We put planning permission in five or six years ago but we have been that busy, we haven’t had time to do anything about it.

“Then two or three months ago we decided to look at it again, but this time a bit bigger to enable us to use different machines.

“Because it will be that bit bigger we’ve had to go through a full planning application again.”

He added: “The building itself will cost £500,000 and the equipment will be somewhere around £500,000 as well.

“It will be a modern station dealing with recycling.

“When you mention anything to do with waste to people they automatically think it means more noise and more wagons, but that won’t be the case.

“We already have a waste transfer station in the yard, but with this new station everything will be undercover, there will be less dust, less noise for the surrounding residents, and better working conditions for staff.

“We’d like to think that it will attract more business our way and therefore more investment into the town.

“We think that there will be a few more jobs created by this as well.”

Building work on foundation slabs have already been put in place because of previous planning permission.

Former Marsh House councillor Kevin Connor welcomed the news of investment in Darwen during the current financial downturn.

He said: “It’s excellent news.

“It is a long-established company who are showing they still want to be in Darwen and still want to provide work in Darwen.

“Especially in this financial climate, it's very positive.”