PLANS for a £50million 500,000 square foot industrial park have been submitted by a developer.

Yorkshire-based Eshton is planning the scheme at Burnley Bridge South, Accrington Road, next to the Network 65 Business Park of junction nine of the M65.

The company has previously been behind the 60-acre Burnley Bridge industrial park and the subsequent 10-acre Titanium Park phase two scheme.

Eshton managing director James Chapman said: “The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted just how important UK manufacturing and logistics are to our economy and the resilience of our supply chains.

"Developments like Burnley Bridge are critical to extending that infrastructure by providing companies in the local area with opportunities to upscale, creating inward investment opportunities for businesses keen to benefit from the skilled local workforce and excellent transport links the location has to offer.

“We are firmly optimistic that our plans will be approved and, with deals still being done despite the current social distancing challenges, we expect significant interest.”

The company hopes that the Burnley Bridge development will dovetail with Burnley Council’s local plan, which targets inward investment, new jobs, new homes and increased opportunity for the area.

With Manchester, Preston, Liverpool and Leeds all within a 50-mile radius, Burnley Bridge Business Park has already attracted a variety of occupiers, including Exertis, Fagan & Whalley, Townsend Music, Birchall Foodservice and YESSS Electrical.

The development will be marketed jointly by Trevor Dawson and Avison Young, while the developers and the council predict that the finished industrial park will attract a mixture of both small and medium sized enterprises and national occupiers.

Trevor Dawson’s Michael Cavannagh said: “The completion of the first phase clearly demonstrates Eshton’s commitment to the local area and economic growth in the North West.

“Burnley Bridge Business Park has been an exciting project to be involved in and will continue with the next proposed phase of development.

"Already, there are initial discussions taking place with potential occupiers."