ONE of East Lancashire’s biggest construction firms is celebrating after more than doubling profits last year.

Nelson-based Barnfield Construction, an award-winning contractor, developer and investor, has reported pre-tax profits for 2016 of £6.2million, up 125 per cent on the previous year.

Consolidated accounts for the parent company Barnfield Group reported a group turnover of £65.2million.

The order book for 2017 stands at £70million and includes contracts for clients such as Burnley Football Club, Blackburn-based Euro Garages, Really Useful Product Company, Chubb Fire & Security, Burnley-based Boohoo and Boundary Mill.

Barnfield is also developing a facility for the Thwaites brewery at Sykes Holt in the RibbleValley. The £6million scheme is expected to take 67 weeks.

Barnfield is also involved in the Spinning Point redevelopment of the bus station in Rawtenstall.

The new single-storey bus station with eight lanes will feature retail space inside.

The development and pre contract team is working with a number of partners and a secure order book of more than £65million is expected within the next three months.

Tim Webber, chairman and managing director of the Barnfield Group, said: “The introduction of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme has been a true asset to the house build industry and over 90 per cent of our house sales are underwritten by the scheme.

“We’ve really benefited and are grateful for support from innovative forms of finance particularly from Growing Places and Lancashire County Council funding.”

Mr Webber said the continuing uncertainty over Brexit had yet to make any mark on the company.

He added: “We’re not feeling an impact from Brexit at this time, although we’re watching the situation carefully.”

Focused efforts have been made to develop the Barnfield Homes brand, which have led to increased activity in the firm’s residential sector market.

This and development profits on sales of completed industrial stock were the two main contributors to the higher profit margin.

Cash inflow from operating activities was reported as £8million last year.