17 industrial units at 1 Whalley New Road, Blackburn
Summary of planning committee decision
Decided by Blackburn Planning and Highways Committee on 18 Sept 2025.
What was proposed
The application proposed 17 industrial units with parking, storage, landscaping, existing vehicle access and a new pedestrian access.
“460 458 462 47 PEARL STREET 132.9m TCB LB 473 463 456 440 Shelter 454 432 ALDERMAN ARTHUR TOWNSEND WAY Care Home Acorn House El Sub Sta Roe Lee Retail Centre 4 to 5 Sluice 1 1af 1f 12 Roe Lee Business Park Path (um) Path (um) Balancing Pond FB 8 2 Stone STREET 2 to 6 16 CAMPBELL 1 11 10 17 1 Haydock St 3 1 5 11 PEMBERTON STREET Haydock St 28 27 23 Allotment Gardens 16 9 CAMPBELL COURT 11 27 21 1 3 OUTRAM LANE 40 39 37 18 2 10 20 Hardy Street 2 14 REGENTS VIEW REPORT OF…”
“The application site is currently vacant and is identified as housing growth site HO72: Roe Lee Mills, within the Local Plan. The current proposal provides for the redevelopment of the site to provide 17no. industrial units to be used for purposes within use classes E(g), B2 and B8, with associated hardstanding to provide parking, with cycle storage, bin storage and landscaping.”
Officer report
The site and surroundings
The vacant 0.8-hectare site was formerly occupied by a demolished mill and is surrounded by housing, a railway and a business park.
“The immediate setting of the site is mixed in character. It includes established housing to the east and an ongoing residential development to the north, beyond a small open watercourse. To the west is an elevated railway line, beneath which restricted vehicular access to Whalley New Road is provided. To the south is Roe Lee Mill 2, which now operates as Roe Lee Business Park.”
Officer report
Why officers supported it
Officers considered the departure from housing allocation justified by housing delivery, employment demand and the site’s flood mapping.
“The site is noted as having formed part of an earlier housing allocation, Site 16/3: Roe Lee Development Site, within the previous adopted version (December 2015) of the Local Plan Part 2. Although the remainder of the allocation to the north, linking to Ramsgreave Drive, has been developed for housing this portion of the site has not been pursued despite been available for approximately 10 years.”
“Despite the site’s long-term allocation for housing, having formed part of the Roe Lee Development Site allocation (site 16/3) in the previous Local Plan Part 2 (December 2015) the site has not attracted a housing developer in the circa 10-year period it has been available.”
Officer report
What residents said
Three objections raised concerns about the industrial character, traffic, noise, safety, residential amenity and flood risk.
“Noise, traffic, and safety Even if some controls are added, the daily impact of vans, delivery vehicles, and HGVs will increase traffic and noise on Whalley New Road and nearby streets. The Council’s own highways comments confirm parking is tight, cumulative traffic is a concern, and there are safety issues for pedestrians. This is a residential area, not designed for the volume of industrial traffic.”
“In summary, this proposal introduces an industrial estate into the heart of a residential neighborhood. It conflicts with the character of the area, puts residential amenity at risk, and brings traffic and safety problems onto local streets.”
Officer report
The committee decision
The committee approved the application subject to the conditions highlighted in the Director’s Report.
“RESOLVED – Approved subject to the conditions highlighted in the Director’s Report.”
Minutes
Sources
- Blackburn Planning and Highways Committee minutes, 18 September 2025
- 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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See the API →At the meeting
- Council
- Blackburn
- Date
- Thursday 18 September 2025
- Committee decided
- Approved
- Minutes
- The council's minutes
- Meeting
- Agenda and papers (council website)
- Application
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- Blackburn committee decisions →
This committee's year
23 decisions in the 12 months to this meeting.
Source: Plota analysis of the committee's minutes.