blackburn north east housing c BwD

A planning inspector has cleared up to 1,500 homes for the plot. Credit: BwD Council

Blackburn presents options for housing growth

Feedback from the public will help shape the draft masterplan for land identified for up to 1,500 homes to the north-east of the town.

Stantec is working for Backburn with Darwen Council on the project. On the table are two early options which offer differing proposals as to the number of houses, roads required, green spaces and a proposed community hub.

Growth director at Blackburn with Darwen Council, Simon Jones, said: “This week we’ve heard a lot in the news about the importance of house building for growth.

“We’re leading the charge on that here in Blackburn with Darwen and can see how the new homes are helping change the lives of our residents. As a borough, we’re in a strong position too as we have an agreed Local Plan that sets out a blueprint for future development.

“It’s been painstakingly developed by experts who really know the borough and what’s needed, and it’s been thoroughly reviewed by a Government Planning Inspector too.

“The Local Plan has helped us identify how many new homes we’ll need in the future as well as the required infrastructure, including for business growth to help support jobs and our local economy.”

Public consultation will run until 11 August, with a drop-in event at St Gabriel’s church hall on 25 July.

The site is around 247 acres and was allocated for up to 1,500 homes in the 2021 local plan. The local authority controls around 45% of the overall site. It is bound by the A6119 Brownhill Drive to the west, and includes land between Belvedere/East Lancs Road to the north, Whalley Old Road to the south, and yup to the borough boundary in the east.

Option one

Features six development areas, plus the hub. This will include a loop road across the whole site, reducing open space, with a central park for recreation. Landscaping will be retained, enhanced  and added to. The total number of homes would be 1,400.

Option two

The main difference from the first option is there would be internal parcel loop roads, allowing for greater  open space, contributing to a lower volume of total housing at 1,050 homes.

Jones concluded: “For the land in North East Blackburn, a huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to see how that 100-hectare site could be developed over the next two decades or so.

“We’re now at a stage of being able to work with Stantec on a draft masterplan – putting two options to residents in the area and asking them to have their say.”

Full details of the process and both options can be viewed at BwD’s online consultation page, which can be accessed here.

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Great to see an ambitious council pushing ahead with plans for large housing development. Thier planning committee are due to approve 500plus new homes this week lots of opportunities for developers and lots of quality homes for young people and families

By George

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