Landscaping and footpath improvements at Turning Head off Whalley old Road, Blackburn
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Blackburn Planning and Highways Committee on 28 May 2026.
What was proposed
The application proposed removing a redundant turning head and pavements, replacing them with landscaping and improved pedestrian access.
“Proposed development: Full Planning Application (Regulation 3) for: Removal of redundant turning head and pavements to be replaced with mixed landscaping and pedestrian access improvements.”
Officer report
The site and surroundings
The site was a former bus turnaround and informal footpath linking to a public right of way, within a strategic housing growth site.
“The application site (the site) relates to a parcel of land measuring 0.1039 hectares in area. It comprises a section of adopted highway which formally served as a bus turnaround area (now redundant) and an informal, hard surfaced footpath routing from Whalley Old at the southern end of the site linking with Public Right of Way (PRoW) ‘Footpath 45.0’ which routes to the north of the site into open fields, linking with a wider network of PRoWS.”
“The site forms part of the wider ‘North East Blackburn Strategic Housing Growth Site’ (Local Plan 2021 – 2037). The existing arrangement is shown below to the immediate north of Whalley Old Road, as is a portion of the growth site (shaded yellow), and the PRoW (shown as a purple line).”
Officer report
What officers recommended
Officers recommended approval because the proposal supported growth objectives, improved the gateway environment, and was technically acceptable with conditions.
“Detailed assessment of the application finds that the development accords with the Council’s strategic growth objectives, through delivery of enhancement works at an important gateway location to the ‘North East Blackburn Strategic Housing Growth Site’, allocated as such in the Local Plan 2021 – 2037. Housing led development is anticipated to come forward at a later date.”
“The proposal is also satisfactory from a technical point of view, with all issues having been addressed through the application or capable of being controlled or mitigated through planning conditions.”
Officer report
Conditions for approval
The recommendation included conditions covering commencement, approved plans, construction hours, and landscaping, planting and maintenance.
“Construction of the development hereby approved shall only take place between the following hours:”
“Planting shall be carried out during the first available planting season following completion of the development and shall thereafter be retained and maintained accordance with the specified maintenance regime.”
Officer report
The committee’s decision
The committee approved the application subject to the conditions highlighted in the directors’ report.
“Decision under the Town and Country Planning Acts and Regulations –”
“Approved subject to the conditions highlighted in the Directors Report.”
Minutes
Sources
- Blackburn Planning and Highways Committee minutes, 28 May 2026
- Agenda and papers (council website)
Source: Plota analysis of Blackburn's committee minutes and officer report. Quotations are the council's own words; headings and summaries are Plota's.
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- Council
- Blackburn
- Date
- Thursday 28 May 2026
- Committee decided
- Approved
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
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This committee's year
57 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.