Darwen housing tipped for approval

A 95-home development on the site of a furniture warehouse at Waterside Park, Eccleshill is set for the green light.

The project is being advanced by GFW, owner of a site that currently houses the company’s furniture distribution centre. It is located within the Green Belt, on the north eastern side of Johnson Road, around 4km from Darwen and 6km from Blackburn.

Approval is recommended for the scheme at the meeting of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning & highways committee meeting tomorrow.

PWA Planning is advising the applicant. The professional team also includes consulting engineer Reford, transport planner Croft and architect Stanton Andrews.

GFW’s site, which lies in the valley of Grimshaw Brook, is described in the planning officers’ report as being largely surrounded by farmland. It is accessed by a shared private road which serves two farms and other commercial buildings.

The applicant intends to demolish the warehouse and associated low-level buildings ahead of the project. Although the total site extends to 22.7 acres, the development is to occupy just 12 acres of that footprint.

Notwithstanding reserved matters, the plan at this stage is for 45 two- or three-bedroom houses, 39 four-bedroom houses and 11 five-bedroom houses.

Access will continue to be from Johnson Road – as part of the plan, Lower Grimshaw Farm will be demolished, “ensuring suitable access is provided on the currently unadopted access road”. Highways officers recommend the improvement of this road as essential. The existing public right of way through the site will remain. Twenty six objections have been received.

Sums in excess of £200,000 are requested for both education and highways contributions as conditions of approval.

Grinshaw Overhead

GFWs ownership is outlined in red

Your Comments

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We need more social housing. A mixture for young families and over 50s. Not houses that Darweners can’t afford to buy or struggle to pay for private renting, which is going up in price all the time.

By Jacqueline

Good to see the numerous housing schemes coming forward in Blackburn and Darwen….a progressive local plan encourages development….this one looks high quality

By George

We need more affordable housing for people to be able to get on the property ladder or be able to afford to rent quality housing. Poor housing increases mental and physical health problems.

By Wendi

think it’s time someone built on the old Vernon Carus site in Hoddlesden where there is access and planning permission already. the site is like a tip it has been empty now for years it’s a disgrace.

By jennifer Baron

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