Go-ahead for 128 homes at Barnoldswick former mill site

The go-ahead has been given for over 100 new homes in Barnoldswick on land that was once partly home to a textile mill near the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Seddon Homes has been given planning permission by Pendle Council for 128 new properties at the former Barnsay Shed site on Long Ing Lane.  Proposals include creating new vehicle access from the lane and associated works at the site, which is partly brownfield and agricultural. Seddon has been working with agent Jenny Fryer of Pinnacle Planning in Manchester.

Six new homes are to be classed as affordable and various conditions are required at the site including assessments of foundation and digging work near the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and protection of animals, such as otters and water voles, trees and hedges.

The current Barnoldswick application began life in autumn 2022 and has been subject to various consultations and debate at Pendle Council meetings, including the West Craven Area Committee which covers Barnoldswick.

In the past,  concerns were raised by some councillors about flood risks and drainage at the site, which is on the opposite side of the canal from the Silentnight bed factory. Because it is a large housing scheme, approval had to be given by the council’s more-senior Development Management Committee.

In previous years, different planning applications have been submitted for the site including for storage and distribution industries.

Now, full planning permission has been granted to Seddon Homes with various conditions. These  include requirements for landscaping, surface water drainage, tree and hedge protection before any ground levelling work is carried out, risk assessment of any potential site contamination and a plan to phase the construction of different streets.

Within three months of work starting, a CCTV survey of a culvert which passes beneath the planned new estate road must be done and submitted for approval to Pendle Council, including details of any works which are thought necessary. This is to ensure that the culvert does not undermine the estate road. The new homes are also to have EV electric car charging points.

Other condition include a risk assessment for the construction of foundations and landscaping works near the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. House design is also covered with conditions for windows, glazing, doors, roofs and insulation. This is to ensure houses are in keeping with local architecture, to protect the privacy of neighbours and to prevent any noise disruption from industrial sites or deliveries nearby.

Public open space is also listed in conditions, with a scheme required to maintain and manage it over time.