Former Tesco storage site in Padiham earmarked for development despite flood risk
A vacant riverside brownfield site in Padiham that was once used by Tesco to store construction materials could be transformed into a new industrial unit under plans submitted to Burnley Council.
The proposal would see a single-storey industrial building, workshop or storage and distribution unit constructed on land off Lune Street, close to the River Calder and Padiham town centre. The scheme would also include a storage yard, five parking spaces and cycle storage.
Planning documents detail how the site once formed part of the former Britannia Mill complex, before the wider area was acquired by Tesco during the development of its nearby supermarket.
Between 2009 and 2023, the plot was used to store building materials, plant, equipment and vehicles, but has largely lain vacant in the years since.
One of the most notable aspects of the application is its location beside the River Calder.
The site sits around 15 metres from the watercourse and is within Environment Agency Flood Zones 2 and 3, meaning it is considered to have a medium to high probability of river flooding. Historic flooding affected the area during major events in 2000, 2015 and 2020, according to supporting reports.
However, consultants say the development can be made safe through flood mitigation measures, including raising the building floor level by 600mm, incorporating a first-floor refuge area and using flood-resistant construction techniques.
The application is also linked to the wider Padiham Flood Risk Management Scheme. A flood defence wall approved along the site’s boundary is expected to reduce flood risks in the area, with modelling suggesting the plot would remain outside the flood extent during a one-in-100-year event once the scheme is in place.
Another potential planning issue is that a small corner of the proposed building, about 11 square metres, would extend into land designated as protected open space.
The applicant argues the strip has little practical recreational use because of the new flood defence infrastructure and says the economic benefits of creating employment space outweigh the limited loss of land.
The application will be decided by Burnley Council planners at a later date.