Blackburn with Darwen Council and Maple Grove Developments have agreed for Leyland DAF Trucks to use the former Thwaites brewery site in Blackburn as temporary storage for commercial vehicles.
The site will come into use as a storage facility from Monday 8 January for up to six months, in a move that supports retaining jobs in Lancashire.
This agreement follows enforcement action taken by the Council on Thursday 4 January on a landowner offering an unauthorised storage site at Waterside near Hoddlesden.
Coun Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, commented:
Council officers have responded quickly to the concerns of local residents about the unauthorised storage site at Waterside, serving an enforcement notice on the landowner for operating without planning permission.
Understanding that Leyland DAF needed a storage facility to support their commercial operation, I’m pleased that we have been able to agree a temporary solution using current vacant land at Larkhill, on the site of the former Thwaites brewery.
This land, which belongs to the Council and to Maple Grove Developments, is still earmarked for redevelopment for a new supermarket. However, while we await the planning application, we are in a position to authorise temporary use of this land as storage, and generate an income – that, to me, is a no-brainer.
The land at Larkhill belongs to Maple Grove Blackburn Ltd, a joint venture between Maple Grove Developments and Blackburn with Darwen Council. Legally the site can be used as storage for 28 days without planning permission. During the next 28 days, planning permission may be sought to accommodate vehicle storage on the site for a longer period.
Arrangements are being put in place to accommodate the fairground scheduled for February 2024 at an alternative location, close to the former Thwaites site.
Coun Riley added:
We’re looking forward to welcoming back the fairground which is always popular with families over the February half term. We’re working with the fairground management to agree on an alternative site that will allow them to offer the same experience to visitors.
