Major East lancs site brought to market

A PRIME, 38-acre residential development site by the Leeds-Liverpool canal near Burnley has been brought to market.

The former William Blythe manufacturing plant at Manchester Road in Hapton has been put up for sale by chemicals firm Yule Catto following a £2m investment.

The money has been used on the demolition of existing site buildings, and the restoration of a former landfill plot into a country mark.

Yule Catto has said that it has held discussions with Burnley Borough Council, which has agreed that the site is suitable for a development of up to 280 homes in the area around the former manufacturing plant. It is considering an outright sale as well as potential partnerships or phased development.

Mike Dove, of Leeds-based property consultancy Dove, Haigh Phillips, which is sole marketing agent for the development, said: “This is a superb development opportunity in an excellent location. It overlooks the historic Leeds-Liverpool canal, a key asset which adds to its charm, and provides easy access to the major North West conurbations and the Greater Manchester area.

“It is located on the edge of Hapton village, approximately five miles to the west of Burnley, 3.5 miles north east of Accrington and 1.5 miles south of Padiham. Hapton itself has a traditional rural character and is surrounded by attractive open countryside.

Mr Dove added: “Importantly, the surrounding area is seeing significant regeneration, with key employment areas, such as Eshton’s pioneering Burnley Bridge Business Park currently under development.”

Altogether Yule Catto owns 38.3 acres of land at Manchester Road, Hapton, of which 14.3 acres is located within the defined urban area and 24 acres is located within the green belt.

Mr Dove said: “The optimum capacity for a potential housing development is 14.3 acres, where up to 280 high-quality houses can be built within a pleasant green setting by the historic canal. It has the potential to be really stunning.”