THE region's newest business park at Shuttleworth Mead, Padiham, was being officially opened today by the Minister for Trade Richard Caborn.

Contracts are being signed with 20 companies promising 1,000 new jobs on the site which has cost £14million to develop.

The business park is on the site of the former Padiham power station, with its own roads and railway and where electricity was generated for almost 100 years.

When it closed with the loss of 130 jobs eight years ago, both Burnley and Ribble Valley councils vowed it would be replaced by a job creating project.

The official opening ceremony was taking place this afternoon.

It is the minister's second recent visit to East Lancashire in support of regeneration developments to help boost the local economy.

Burnley MP Peter Pike said the project had successfully transformed a redundant power station into a 21st century business park development.