An application to refurbish a Grade II listed substation and create a new coffee shop has been approved, adding the finishing touch to a £32 million regeneration scheme of a landmark site.

Work on the grade II listed Brierfield Mill began in 2016, after Pendle Council entered a joint venture with public and private funds.

Named ‘Northlight’, it is now home to new apartments, businesses, offices, industrial and storage space, Burnley FC in the Community’s sports and leisure facilities, an indoor children’s play site, arts and culture spaces, and adult education.

There is also a bar and events facility, and now, following council approval last week, a new coffee shop.

Holly Ducker, of Northlight Estates Ltd, lodged a listed building consent application with Pendle Council last year.

She asked for permission to externally and internally refurbish the old substation, known as Transformer House, in Northlight Parade, close to the Leisure Box and former Brierfield Mill.

The site was the final unit to be developed within the Northlight development and had previously been granted planning permission for a gin bar and distillery.

READ MORE: Listed Brierfield building could become gin bar and distillery, before the original applicants of that venture pulled out.

A planning statement read: “The site has been included within multiple planning applications over recent years following the initial full plans and listed building consent application associated with Unit 1.

“The previous approval was for the change of use to suit a new gin bar and distillery, with internal changes designed to suit their layout and external finishes to be reflective of the wider development for a cohesive and uniform look.

“The intention with this application is to apply for listed building consent for the change in appearance of the unit to suit the new proposed tenant of a coffee shop instead of the previous gin distillery tenant.

“Due to the previous wider ranging applications the change of use of the wider development no full plans application for the change of use of the substation will be required.”

READ MORE: Praise for £32million Northlight Brierfield mill conversion

Now that listed building consent has been approved and the coffee shop can open, there will be one entrance to the building that leads to a foyer, from which there is then access to a large open area.

Opposite the entrance are toilet facilities and a lift to the first-floor mezzanine as well as secondary access to the main ground floor area that could be used as back of house access.

The staircase leads to a small first floor lobby with access to an upper floor area suitable for additional seating and a second private meeting room.

The planning statement went on: “The main changes from the previous approval have been the removal of the decorative open vat between the ground floor and mezzanine areas as well as the consolidation of the ground floor space to provide more useable space for the future tenant.

“This proposal is for very minor alterations that mean this application is very similar to the last approved application.

“While it is unfortunate the previous tenant has pulled out of the development mid construction the proposed changes will make the development more suitable and flexible for the use of the new coffee shop tenant.”

Corten cladding covering the exposed poor-quality brickwork is to be retained from the previous approval, as well as the windows to match the rest of the Northlight development.

The Northlight project was this week hailed a huge success by councillors and lead developers as a guided tour marked the completion of the multi-million-pound scheme.