PLANNING | Permission granted for Blackburn health centre, industrial park

Blackburn with Darwen Council voted to approve the Issa brothers’ proposed medical centre off Wainwright Way in Blackburn, the Hollins Park extension in Darwen, and the demolition of the former Shadsworth Leisure Centre.

The decisions were in line with officer’s recommendation and made at the council’s planning committee meeting Thursday.

Here is a little more about each of the projects.

Wainwright Way health centre

Application number: 10/23/0374

The Issa brothers’ property company Monte Blackburn secured approval for a three-storey medical facility and associated parking on vacant land between Wainwright Way and Freckleton Street in Blackburn.

The site itself is bisected by the River Blakewater, with the 11,800 sq ft health centre on the northern section of the site with a 21-space car park and a separate 14-space car park on the southern plot.

Included in the parking provision are three disabled spaces and motorcycle spaces. The project also includes three covered cycle storage ranks.

The health centre will have consultation rooms, waiting rooms, and offices suitable for dental practices or opticians. Access to the facility would be off two new entrances from Freckleton Street.

Campbell Driver Partnership designed the proposal and also acted as planning consultant. The project team also includes DEP Landscape Architecture, BEk Enviro, Rachel Hacking Ecology, topping Engineers, Mode Transport Planning, and Wardell Armstrong.

LMP Architects designed the industrial project for Pillars and Fairmont PM. Credit via planning documents

Hollins Business Park

Application number: 10/23/0414

Developer Pillars Holdings can move forward with its plans to build 11 warehouses on land previously earmarked for housing in Darwen.

Pillars and Fairmont Project Management had secured planning permission for a hybrid scheme for a former railway goods yard off Hollins Grove Street in January 2021. At the time, that application proposed the northern half of the site having 13 industrial units, while the southern part would have 37 houses.

Construction has begun on that industrial part, known as Hollins Business Park. However, the housing part of the project has not come forward and, according to a planning statement by Fairmont, is not viable.

Thus, the new application to build 11 warehouses totalling 39,900 sq ft on the nearly three-acre southern part of the site. The largest of these will be 5,100 sq ft, while the rest will range from 3,400 sq ft to 3,700 sq ft.

A total of 79 parking spaces will be provided, including 17 disabled.

LMP Architects is the designer behind the project, while ReLandscape is the landscape architect. SCP is the transport consultant, and ERAP is the ecologist. EnviroSolution is the noise consultant. Arbconsultants is the arboriculturalist.

Shadsworth Leisure Centre closed down in 2019. Credit: Google Earth

Shadsworth Leisure Centre

Application number: 10/23/0445

Prepare to say goodbye to Shadsworth Leisure Centre in Blackburn, as the council has granted itself permission to raze the building.

Blackburn with Darwen Council justified the push for demolition and subsequent vote to approve the application by sharing that the leisure centre is in a state of disrepair. It is also vacant.

A future use of the land is not yet known. The footprint of the old two-storey leisure centre will be tarmacked until a future use can be found.