PLANS to build a small retail park on a disused mill site close to Accrington town centre have taken a step forward.

Office furniture manufacturers Lupton Bros have won a long-running battle with Hyndburn Council over the future use of their former site off Hyndburn Road.

Councillors on the development services committee approved an outline application to build a retail park, including food retailing.

Luptons already had planning permission to demolish their Fountain Works and build retail units on the Portland Street site.

But councillors previously refused to lift a condition which prevented food being sold from the development.

They changed their minds after Luptons backed up their application with a retail impact study assessing the likely effect on trading in Accrington town centre. The consultants concluded that there would not be a significant impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre.

Committee chairman Coun George Slynn said: "We cannot ignore evidence placed before us in this study."

Gerald Parkinson, a director of Luptons, said: "As a company we are exceptionally pleased that after a long and arduous situation with the council we have planning consent in place for the future use of the site.

"This enables us to meet positively with potential developers and retailers."

The premises are currently being demolished but the chimney will remain until negotiations with a developer are finalised.

Luptons has relocated to a more modern base on Altham industrial estate.

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