Burnley and Pendle readers react to billionaire Issa brothers' plans to build new service station at the end of the M65

The Express revealed earlier this week that Blackburn’s Issa brothers had won an appeal against Pendle Council’s refusal of planning permission for the petrol forecourt on land off Whitewalls Drive.

The scheme, which was given the go ahead by the government’s planning inspectorate, will see the 8.6 acre site developed for a petrol station, car wash, convenience store, drive-thru coffee unit and two industrial units, creating 120 jobs.

Leader of the Greenfield Forum, John Rivett, branded the inspector’s decision “regrettable”, and Pendle Council planning manager Neil Watson said he was “disappointed”.

Those views have been shared by a number of residents.

Here are some of the comments:

Frances Austin: "Feel so sorry for the people on Greenfield Rd. It's already a nightmare around there with traffic and we're just adding to it. We don't need another fuel station either.”

Natalie Leech: “Yay! Let’s add extra places to visit on the much already exhausted vivary way and north valley! I feel for the people who live in those houses why do we need another petrol station? Asda and Sainsbury’s are ‘minutes’ from of here”

David Cooper: “I don’t understand how this has been signed off, it’s not like we need petrol services here. There’s 3 within a couple of miles.”

Dawn Mulgrew: “What's the point of having a council planning department when the rich can just throw money at government departments and get decisions overruled?”

Mark Murgatroyd: “Wonderful. Yet more congestion at North Valley.”

Phil Sanderson: “Disgusting using our green fields.”

Stephen Wilby: “Even more congestion on North Valley Road... What with the amount of traffic from boundary Mill etc... You couldn't make it up!!”

However, there were some positive responses:

Tony Smith: “People are always complaining about something. People complained about the canal when that was built. And complained about the mills being built. And all the terraced houses. The railway the M65. And now it’s A petrol station and a couple of factories.”

Adrian Scott: “Close to Boundary Mill retail park. The industrial estate where other retail units are. Perfect site for a petrol station.”