The owners of the Interact Skate Park, at the Bank Hall Works, off Colne Road, have submitted a planning application to Burnley Council, but the plans have not won the backing of all groups in Burnley.

Interact opened in July, 2004, to a huge fanfare and was hailed as the biggest and best skate park in Europe, but only four years later owners James Pollard and Sons closed the park and have now applied to return it to industrial use.

Mr John Wilcock, a director at the agents JWPC Ltd, Clitheroe, said: "We've had meetings with Burnley Council and there are a number of options open at the moment.

"The guidance given by the council was just to apply for a broad use classification at the moment. This can be anything from light industrial use through to storage and distribution.

"For instance, this could be small commercial units, offices or manufacturing. The aim is to put the site into a respectful, active use which is already well-screened with mature trees. It already has a dedicated access."

The Bank Hall Works was once home to the former Lec cold storage unit, but Burnley Civic Society has written to Burnley Council objecting to the new plans.

Secretary Mr David Smith said: "We do not think the site is suitable for industrial use. Many people, including parents and young children, use a path at nearby Browhead Park and we are concerned lorries would be travelling to the site.

"The civic society feels that really it would be better if the site was retained for leisure use, which would be more in keeping with the surrounding area."

The application is expected to be discussed at the Development Control Committee meeting in January.