Plans submitted for key employment site

Plans have been submitted to develop a key site in central Lancashire with the focus on “high-quality employment uses” that have the potential to create up to 5,600 full time jobs.

Lancashire County Council and its development partner Maple Grove Developments - part of The Eric Wright Group - have submitted a planning application for the ‘Lancashire Central’ site at Cuerden.

The development aims to deliver around 1.7 million sq ft of floor space with “significant economic and employment benefits for the people of Lancashire”.

The plans would supply significant new local employment space for offices, research and development, industrial, storage and distribution uses.

They could also include some commercial uses including retail and food and drink outlets, as well as opportunities for a gym, crèche, health centre and pharmacy and leisure facilities. The plan also includes a proposal for 116 new homes.

In a statement the council said: “The delivery of new employment floor space on such a key strategic development site with direct access to the motorway network, will provide unrivalled opportunities for both existing businesses to grow and flourish, and new businesses to locate and invest in the area.

“These proposals would create around 2,400 job opportunities during the construction phases, and up to 5,600 full time job opportunities once operational, across a wide range of positions, including higher skilled jobs.”

It is also estimated that the increased expenditure as a result of the development would provide an estimated boost to the local economy of up to £390 million per year.

If planning permission is granted, work could begin on the initial infrastructure works later in the year.

County councillor Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development and growth, said: “These are exciting proposals for this key strategic employment site in the heart of the county.

“Higher skilled jobs with competitive salaries will boost employment growth and create a quality place to work, live and visit, making a real difference to the lives and wellbeing for people in Lancashire.

“This is an important milestone in the development of the site with the submission of the planning application. The site is regionally significant, vital to the place shaping agenda and delivers economic outcomes for Lancashire.”

Wider benefits from the development include significant landscaping and the creation of ecological habitats on the site. The design also includes a number of sustainability initiatives.

“Significant investment” will be made into local infrastructure including roads and pedestrian/cycle route improvements. New walking and cycle routes will connect to existing routes and public rights of way.

Environmental infrastructure work would include planting and green space, ponds and open drainage features.

James Scott, development director at Maple Grove, said: “Lancashire Central represents one of the most significant development projects in the North West and, as a Lancashire-based developer, it is a project with which we are immensely proud to be involved.

"We have worked very closely with the county council and key stakeholders, to create a scheme which will benefit the local and regional areas both economically and through job creation and we look forward to working towards a positive outcome at committee, so we can hopefully begin work on the initial infrastructure work later this year.”

The county council says the multi-million-pound investment is essential to Lancashire’s emerging long-term strategy, Lancashire 2050, and supports both post Covid-19 recovery and the government’s levelling up agenda.

The new logistics-led future for the strategic development site in South Ribble, close to both the M6 and M65 motorways, was drawn up after store giant Ikea pulled out of its role as anchor tenant in an earlier planned retail-led development.

The new plans for the site were announced earlier this year when a widespread public consultation exercise began. The planning application can be viewed on the planning pages of the county council’s website.

Detailed planning permission is being sought for site access and a proportion of core green infrastructure and outline planning permission is being sought for all other aspects of the proposals, through a series of parameter plans and a design code, which will collectively guide the future development of the site.