BURNLEY Council bosses are seeking permission for a scheme to bring two shops and apartments back into use.

The local authority is currently going through the compulsory purchase order process for 33-35 Burnley Road in Padiham, part of the Padiham Conservation Area.

And a planning application to convert the ground floor into two independent retail units with two self-contained flats on the first and second floors is recommended to be approved when it is brought before councillors next week.

The owner of 35 Burnley Road has objected on the grounds that they did not give their consent to the council to make the application.

A report to go before the committee states: “The building was originally constructed as two separate properties, each comprising three storeys with cellars, and has subsequently been combined into a single unit that comprises a vacant ground floor commercial use (last used as a hot food takeaway) with two storeys of vacant residential accommodation above forming a single residential unit.

“The building is currently in a poor condition externally, and it is evident that it has been subject to inadequate maintenance, exacerbated by vacancy.”

Development control committee members will decide on the application at a meeting on Wednesday.