RESIDENTS living near a landmark mill in Nelson are opposing plans from an East Lancashire bed manufacturer to move into the site.

Burnley-based Sweet Dreams paid £1 million for Scholefield Mill in Nelson earlier this year to house its sister operation, Comfort Zone Sofas.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The firm has now submitted a planning application to Pendle Council to use the 11,000 sq ft mill for industrial purposes.

The building was previously used for storage, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) vacating the site in 2013.

This brought an end to nearly a century of records storage at the premises. It was used to keep military medical records after the First World War, then by the NHS before the DWP took ownership.

Local resident Ray Britner said: “Brunswick Street already has more than its share of heavy commercial vehicles from other businesses in this area.

“We have a mosque, a park, a nursery and school kids walking to and from their schools in the morning and late afternoon.

“To make matters worse Brunswick Street also has cars double parked, which is a further restriction.

“If this application is granted it will only add to the problems we have been facing each day for many years.”

Another resident said: “If you allow this, we will have severe problems parking once again as there are no parking facilities at the mill.

“We’ve already had severe problems with other employees parking in Brunswick Street, Pilgrim Street and neighbouring areas.

“Wagons struggle to access this area now due to the narrow road and no turning facilities for the larger vehicles.

“This application, if successful, would cause severe problems for local residents and be very detrimental to Cloverhill.”

Earlier this year Sweet Dreams also invested £3 million in its Primrose Mill site. The move to Scholefield Mill would free up space there.

Another local resident said: “There is already a problem with many vehicles parked on the pavement making it difficult for pedestrians.

Lancashire County Council’s highways department said it had not received enough information to conduct an accurate assessment of the site, but provisionally recommended a condition for a car park and manoeuvring plan to be drawn up to allow for the effective use of the car park.

Stewart Gailey, highway development control engineer at the county council, said: “Due to the increase in vehicle movements expected to the site, the applicant should provide a simple transport assessment, indicating the size and numbers of cars, goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles using the existing site and the proposed change of use, for the site.”