THE announcement of a £19million development creating 1,500 new call centre jobs is more than just a boost for the area -- it marks the virtual completion of a dream at Blackburn with Darwen Council's Shadsworth Business Park.

Local Government reporter David Higgerson found out why...

IF you ever travel to Krakow in Poland, you might end up feeling a sense of dj vu, particularly if you are familiar with Shadsworth Business Park.

That's the feeling Bill Taylor, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, had when he took part in an exchange to Krakow recently, Blackburn with Darwen's new 'twin'.

The two towns have been swapping information on how to improve services for years -- with Blackburn learning to go green and our friends in the east learning about business development.

Coun Taylor said: "We sat through a presentation about their regeneration and it suddenly dawned on me it all seemed similar to Shadsworth.

"It turns out they hadn't just used our principles for developing a business park, they'd recreated Shadsworth over there. I suppose it's a complement."

Around 700 jobs have been created by firms which have moved or expanded on to Shadsworth Business Park over the last decade -- making it an obvious blueprint for success elsewhere.

Plans for the Shadsworth Business Park, then known as Shadsworth Industrial Estate, were unveiled in 1970 and given approval by Whitehall in the June of that year. At that time it was a farm, but had in the past been a coal mine.

The 92-acre site was steadily developed and by 1995, 45 per cent of the site had been developed. Among the firms to move on were Royal Mail Parcels, now Parcelforce, who took a 9,200sq ft unit.

Then the council secured Government Single Regeneration Budget funding to build a new access from Haslingden Road, unlocking a new portion of the site.

The opening of the £145million extension to the M65, which passed within yards of Shadsworth, triggered an explosion in interest.

A combination of grant finance, from the European Regional Development Fund, and easy access off junction five of the M65 has proved irresistible.

More than £14million has been invested by private-sector companies which have constructed over 310,000 square feet of industrial and commercial floorspace.

Neil Weaver, of Taylor Weaver who market the site for a range of clients, is in no doubt of the importance of the M65.

"The continuing interest in Shadsworth emphasises the strong demand for modern manufacturing facilities in business locations with good access to the motorway," he said.

Rossendale-based Hurstwood Developments has been one of the main builders on the site, providing a range of properties, including a 6,000sq ft base for bridal accessories business Linzi Jay. Another developer at Shadsworth is Beva Investments which is responsible for the Shadsworth Gateway.

Recent lettings have included a state-of-the-art high-tech office and production facility for BAE Systems and a custom-designed new bakery for Inter Link Foods.

"There were several reasons for choosing Shadsworth Gateway," said Steve Collier, of BAE Systems, when the firm moved in.

"We needed to be located in an area with good transport links, close to our existing operations, allowing us to retain and recruit high-quality staff."

Alwin Thompson, Inter Link's chief executive, said he had been drawn to Shadsworth because of its location. "Being manufacturers of food, fast distribution plays and important part in our business," he said.

The latest development involves the sale of the last large remaining chunk of undeveloped land to Sussex-based Bannertown Call Centre Now.

The intend to build three call centres which will employ up to 1,500 people. The council has been negotiating with the firm for two years.

Graham Burgess, executive director for regeneration, said: "We could have filled Shadsworth up several times over with large warehouses which would have provided investment but little employment.

"The firms which have come on have created high numbers of jobs which have benefited the borough."

Coupled with Capita's investment at India Mill in Darwen, 2,000 call centre jobs will have been created by the time the third call centre at Shadsworth goes up.

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration, said: "It's important we add firms which provide jobs which differ from those we have had in the past. We can no longer rely solely on manufacturing."

The council intends to create 5,000 new jobs across the borough over the next four years -- the Bannertown jobs are included in that.

Michael Damms, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: "Blackburn is certainly punching above its weight. It's using imaginative ways of bringing firms in and not just waiting to see what comes along.

"I have no doubt the figures quoted are realistic and what is heartening is the fact many of these jobs are white collar ones. East Lancashire is known to have a deficit of these."