500 homes plan at former paper mill gets go-ahead

PLANS have been approved to transform the former Sappi Paper Mill site in Feniscowles near Blackburn with 500 new homes and 133,000sq ft of employment space.

HOW Planning has secured outline planning approval on behalf of developer Aeternum Capital for a new residential-led mixed use development.

The 26.8 hectare site on Preston Old Road has been vacant for several years and the planning approval paves the way for the redevelopment of the site with the construction of a high quality mixed use development combining residential and employment space.

Blackburn with Darwen Council had acknowledged the site in the emerging Site Allocations and Development Management Policies document and allocated the site as providing residential and employment uses on site.

It has now granted permission for the homes and employment space.

Richard Barton at HOW Planning said: “The vision for this scheme is to deliver a sustainable development on what is a vacant and under-used brownfield site.  Approval of the application ensures our clients can help realise its full potential, by bringing it back into beneficial use through new homes and investment to the area.”

David Frohnsdorft from Aeternum adds: “We are looking forward to making a start on the scheme which we believe will have a very positive impact on Feniscolwes and the wider area, providing much needed local housing supply and creating new employment opportunities.”