THE booming Burnley Bridge Business Park is to get a new £45million extension doubling the number of jobs it will create to 2,700.

Developers Eshton announced plans to extend the park near junction nine of the M65 after revealing demand for the new accommodation had gone through the roof.

The original Burnley Bridge park, now completed and filled, and the adjoining Titanium Park phase, currently being built, promised to bring 1,400 jobs.

Now Eshton's managing director James Chapman has revealed a new 600,000 sq ft of extra industrial and warehousing space on a 32-acre site south of the M65 next to the A679 Accrington Road.

Named Burnley Bridge South, it will create another 1,300 jobs on top of the originally planned 1,400.

The announcement has been hailed as 'superb news' by East Lancashire business boss Miranda Barker and Burnley politicians.

The extension to the £50m original two-phase scheme was 'excellent news for Burnley, for jobs and for the wider local economy' said the borough's MP Julie Cooper.

Work on Burnley Bridge started in 2013 as a new flyover for traffic was built over the M65. It was completed the following year as the project was officially opened by then Liberal Democrat business secretary Vince Cable.

As major companies such as IT firm Exertis and haulage giant Fagan and Whalley took space on the 70-acre first phase, Leeds-based Eshton announced the smaller Titanium Park development offering 135,000 sq ft.

Mr Chapman said the latest scheme will provide a similar mix of large warehousing and industrial accommodation to the original Burnley Bridge park with a flexible range of high-quality units.

Initial plans are for six units totalling 600,000 sq ft although a bespoke building of 500,000 sq ft could be accommodated on the site.

Mr Chapman said: “Burnley Bridge South is part of Eshton’s vision to expand Burnley’s business park presence on the M65 and demonstrates the firm’s ongoing commitment to investing in Burnley.”

His brother and fellow director, Jonathan Chapman, said: "This is brand new development on top of Burnley Bridge phase one and Titanium Park.

"The 1,300 jobs are brand new and on top of the 1,400 envisaged for the first two stages.

"It offers larger premises than currently available in phase two.

"Burnley Bridge is now built and fully-occupied, while there is considerable commercial interest in Titanium Park where construction is about to start.

"This new Burnley Bridge South development shows how successful this project has been."

Ms Barker, chief executive of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is superb news. It is excellent for Burnley and the whole of East Lancashire.

"It shows the area is now increasingly attractive for business investment and these are yet more jobs for the borough and surrounding area."

Burnley Council leader, Cllr Mark Townsend, said: "This is fantastic news it shows that the borough is now the place to invest and create jobs."

Cllr Gordon Birtwistle, former Liberal Democrat MP and opposition leader on the council, said: "It shows that the £3m secured from the government in 2011 to build the bridge over the M65 was money well spent.

"Despite the doom-mongers at the time, this has been a hugely successful development that keeps on giving investment and jobs."

Mrs Cooper said: "It is clear that Burnley is now being widely viewed as a good place to do business.

"This particular site, that was developed when I was council leader, is ideally situated to attract new companies from out of town and I look forward to seeing local people benefit from this provision."

Conservative group leader on Burnley Council, Cllr David Heginbotham, said: "This is wonderful bring new jobs and investment to the borough and the whole of East Lancashire."

Other firms moving onto Burnley Bridge included YESSS Electrical, Equinox Building Services, Townsend Music and Birchall Foodservice.