AN AEROSPACE company has been given conditional permission by a council to expand and relocate.

Callender Aeroparts bosses predicted up to 70 new jobs would be created by the year 2000 if their proposed expansion got the go-ahead from Hyndburn Council.

They submitted an application to build larger offices and manufacturing premises on the Altham Industrial Estate, intending to relocate their business from their site at Willow Mill, Clayton-le-Moors.

A building to be used in the production of aircraft turbine blades was proposed, consisting of 9,365 square metres of industrial floor space and 750 square metres of offices.

The development services committee agreed that the director of development services should approve the scheme when certain conditions were met.

The application included details of a new 156 space car park, but this was said to fall short of the council's standards.

The company claimed the parking facilities were sufficient for the numbers of people currently employed and agreed to sign a legal contract stating they would build more spaces should they be needed in the future. The council also insisted samples of building materials be approved, details of boundary walls passed, all the trees, except an old ash in poor condition, should be retained and a satisfactory landscaping scheme agreed.

Councillors Cath Thom and Tim O'Kane hailed the factory development as extremely good news for Hyndburn.

Coun O'Kane said: "It is like a breath of fresh air to see that a high-tech manufacturing company with an urgent need to expand is prepared to invest millions into Hyndburn.

"Once the new motorway link is established, I expect other companies will follow Callender's excellent example and choose to set up in Hyndburn."

Councillors also said the relocation would alleviate traffic congestion with lorries and on-street parking near the present factory in Lower Barnes Street, Clayton-le-Moors.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.