Plans to build 73 new homes on site of former Burnley mill

Countryside Partnerships propose to build the new housing estate in Barden Lane. It will be on the site of the former Lodge Mill which was demolished in 2014 on the Leeds Liverpool Canal, close to Reedley Marina.

The 6.5 acres of vacant land will become home to six detached houses, 56 semi-detached houses, seven terraced houses (in rows of three and four houses) and four flats in a two storey building.

This will provides a range of four one-bedroom units, 29 two bed properties, 34 three bed units and six four bed homes. All proposed dwellings are two-storey with the exception of four 2.5-storey houses with pitched roof dormers to the front.

Burnley Council’s development control committee has been recommended to approve the detailed plans of the scheme with three conditions when it meets on Thursday night. This is despite 10 objections from nearby residents on Lower Manor Lane, Garswood Close, Marina View and Lower Mead Avenue.

They raise concerns about increased car traffic, congestion and pedestrian safety on Barden Lane, ‘road rage’ conflicts and blaring horns at the nearby narrow railway and canal bridges, air pollution, noise and flooding at the railway bridge during heavy rainfall.

Burnley North East’s Lancashire county councillor Usman Arif also objected about congestion at the bridges on Barden Lane, the poor condition of that road, lack of school places and the impact on local GP surgeries.

A report to the committee meeting by planning officer Janet Filbin says: “The application seeks approval for the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of a residential development of 73 dwellings, following the grant of outline planning permission in December 2022.

“The design of the scheme has taken into account the distinctive character of the local area.Lodge Canal Bridge on Barden Lane stands to the north western corner of the application site and is a Grade II listed building.

“The key feature of its setting is the canal. The layout and design of the scheme would maintain a green buffer along the canal and present a formal frontage of houses with the use of reconstituted stone/render which would be sensitive to the canal setting and is unlikely to lead to harm to the setting of the Grade II listed stone bridge.

“Affordable Housing at five per cent of the scheme is secured through the Section 106 Agreement that forms part of the outline permission. The applicant has indicated that the amount of affordable housing will be increased but this would not be a planning requirement.”