A MAJOR £50million aerospace business park which would create thousand of jobs remains shelved — three years after it was approved by planners.

BAE Systems wants to create a huge industrial zone next door to its sprawling Samlesbury site so smaller firms which supply it with engineering products are close by.

BAE bosses remain in talks with the North West Development Agency (NWDA) over the scheme but the state of the property market, which is still in a slump, means it is on the backburner.

However, the presence of the aerospace park on a list of major ‘strategic’ projects drawn up by East Lancashire regeneration bosses shows it is considered an important development.

Dave Holmes, BAE’s director of investment at Samlesbury, said: “The economic climate has been abysmal for this kind of development but we are still in discussions with the NWDA.

“It is something we might consider in 12 or 18 months’ time but we need to take stock of where the marketplace is.”

The Samlesbury site is currently undergoing a bumper £800million investment plan which will turn it into a world-leading manufacturing base.

However, the aerospace park would be built to the east of BAE’s site, closer to Mellor.

Although East Lancashire has hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses that supply aerospace products, BAE hopes the park would encourage firms from elsewhere in Britain and abroad to relocate, lured by the proximity to the £12billion defence giant.

The aerospace park was approved by councillors in May 2007, meaning that it would almost certainly need a fresh planning application.