A parish council has called for more support from the borough after no objections were raised to a large warehouse development plan nearby.
Livesey Parish Council met at Feniscowles Community Hall last night to discuss the development of the new transport and distribution hub close to Junction 3 of the M65, just over the border in Chorley borough.
Blackburn with Darwen Council’s strategic growth director Martin Kelly wrote to Chorley Council raising no objections to the scheme provided FI Real Estate Management (FIREM), the firm behind the application, awards his authority £1.27 million in Section 106 developer contributions.
This would go towards projects made up of £700,000 towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal Towpath Upgrade, £110,000 for pedestrian crossing improvements in Livesey Branch Road, and £460,000 towards The Sappi Link Road.
Feniscowles Community Hall was full with local residents (Image: NQ) Representatives from Blackburn with Darwen Council declined to attend the meeting, while Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain did not respond to the invitation, said parish council chair Les Cade.
Mr Cade said: “What on earth in Blackburn with Darwen playing at? Where is our defence? Where is our protection?
“These people are officers, they work for the council, they represent us. Why are we paying them for this? They won’t come here and answer that question.”
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A flyer handed around at the meeting said the warehouse at the development would stand 30m tall, roughly 10 storeys, and would “destroy the openness of this part of the countryside for all surrounding properties and visitors”.
It also said there would be a huge increase in HGV traffic putting further pressure on Finnington Lane and other surrounding rural roads, “many of which were never designed for such large vehicles at these volumes”.
A leaflet handed around at the meeting (Image: NQ) One person, who works as a HGV driver, stood up and addressed the meeting, saying the repercussions of the development will be more than just increased traffic.
He said: “I’ve been a HGV driver for about 15 years now and most of the places I park when I’m out at night are industrial estates.
“The problem now is that most industrial estates when they’re being built get double yellow lines put down, so there’s nowhere to park the wagons overnight.
“The next best place is the closest place to the estate. The closest place to this one is around here, Livesey Branch Road and all the roads surrounding it. You will get wagons parking everywhere.
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“The nearest service [station] is Darwen and that only holds so many wagons.
“You go to any slip road on any motorway and you’ll see there are bottles of pee because there are no facilities. Unfortunately, that’s what we’re left with because we have to find somewhere to park.”
Alan Cullens, Lancashire County Councillor for the Hoghton and Wheelton division, also attended the meeting and raised the point that while right now the proposal is for two warehouses, there could be more in the future.
An aerial view of the proposed development (Image: Archive) He said: “At the moment the development shows two large warehousing units.
“You may or may not believe that will remain as two. It’s prime development land all the way along that corridor of the motorway.
“So we’re not going to be faced with two warehouses, I’m sure we’re going to be faced with a lot more.
“My belief is it will get put forward to Chorley Council, I’m almost certain they will say no, but they will reapply and go to the planning inspectorate.
“It’s going to be very difficult.”
The application can be viewed in full on Chorley Council’s planning website by searching the application number 24/00847/OUTMAJ.