PLANS have been unveiled for the centrepiece of a major business park which should bring 1,400 jobs to East Lancashire.

Proposals have been submitted to borough planners for a 450,000sq ft warehouse and office development at Burnley Bridge Business Park, off junction nine of the M65.

MORE TOP STORIES:

And bosses at Yorkshire-based developers Eshton Properties are hopeful that the complex will prove as popular as other phases of their ambitious masterplan for the former Hepworth’s site at Hapton.

Managing director James Chapman said: “This application reflects our plans for the delivery of the business park. We are very hopeful that it will attract interest.

“The level of interest shown so far in Burnley Bridge has been very encouraging and we expect this to continue with this development.”

Currently, two phases of the huge industrial estate have been completed, with Magnesium Court attract-ing YESSS Electrical in June, closely followed by Equinox Building Services, for smaller premises.

Birchall Foodservice also made the switch from Network 65 on the other side of the motorway, to Burnley Bridge, taking 64,100 square foot premises in the Cobalt Building, to the north of the proposed warehouse.

The new warehouse, which includes a 100,000 square foot mezzanine level and offices, would be served by a 400-space car park off Magnesium Way, the central spine road for the park.

Planning agent James McDermott said: “The recently completed Cobalt Building and Magnesium Court already have occu-piers which has increased the natural surveillance on site.

“The proposed develop-ment will further enhance activity on site, impacting positively on local ser-vices.”

Further phases will see more industrial and commercial buildings erected to the east of Magnesium Way and the original masterplan had a canalside hotel pencilled in, alongside a housing estate to the north-west of the site.