Greenbelt land safe - for now
A BOROUGH does not have enough land for industry, a review has found.
And now urban green spaces and former industrial sites are being considered as sites for job creation schemes over the next 13 years.
But a swathe of greenbelt sites, including prime land near Barrowford, Kelbrook and Brierfield, look safe - for now.
Pendle Council has been drawing up a list for its employment land needs up to 2021. Its first port of call will be old factory land and green sites within the existing town and village boundaries.
If there is still demand for new industrial and commercial developments then greenbelt land could be used.
Before that happens a wholesale review would be conducted under the local development plan.
The sites on the reserve list include land at Trough Laithe Farm, Barrowford, and an area to the south of Greenhead Lane, Brierfield.
Land between Barnoldswick Road and the A56, and nearby swathes between Kelbrook and Sough, have been identified.
An estimated 54 hectares of land is required, up to 2021, and the bulk of this can be found via existing locations.
Another 3.7 hectares will be provided by schemes due to be completed by this year, with smaller sites providing another 0.8 hectares.
This leaves around 14.2 hectares still to find - a site search by council land experts has found around half of the target.
The largest of these sites includes land to the north of Glenway, Brierfield, the old Red Scar works at Colne, the former mill dam in Barrowford and land next to Walk Mill, also in Colne.
Planning manager Neil Watson said: "One of the key aims of the review is to identify which sites are the most suitable for development for employment use."
The consultation period for the land review is six weeks.
lancashiretelegraph, 28.12.2007