PLANS to open a swimming pool and nursery in a vacant former health authority site in Nelson could create 40 jobs.

Burnley-based Reedley Leisure Ltd has applied for planning permission for a children’s day nursery at the old two-storey East Lancashire Health Authority building in the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate in Kenyon Road, which has been empty since 2015.

Under the bid, a new swimming pool building would also be built for the nursery to use, and provision for 68 car parking spaces.

The proposed nursery, which would provide places for 170 children of up to five years of age, would include a baby unit, toddler unit and pre-school unit and play areas.

In its design and access statement, on behalf of Reedley Leisure Ltd, Avalon Town Planning Ltd, said: “These proposals involve the reuse of an existing office building.

“As such the proposals involve the reuse of a brownfield site that is already provided with all of the infrastructure needs and requirements.

“It is also in a sustainable location, being part of the Lomeshaye Employment Area,which is a major traffic destination.

“The proposed use fits in with the general thrust of national and local planning policies which are aimed at encouraging and promoting employment generating uses.

“The employment generated by this proposal compares more than favourably to other classes of employment uses. “

Of the 40 jobs proposed, 12 staff from would be employed from the baby unit, 12 from the Toddler unit, 11 from the pre-school unit and five for kitchen and domestic purposes.

Avalon Town Planning Ltd said: “These numbers are full time-equivalents.

“This amount of employment generation compares favourably to other employment generating uses, such as warehouses or workshops, which would generate far less jobs per square metre that this use."

"The site lies alongside junction 12 of the M65 and it is also part of the Lomeshaye Employment Area, a strategic employment site which is promoted in Pendle Borough Council’s development plan.

"The proposed nursery building was built in 1993 for use as administrative offices by the ELHA, until it was vacated by them in 2015.”