BLACKBURN’S billionaire Issa brothers’ EG Group has submitted a revised planning application to build a new service station for drivers coming on and off the end of M65.

It would be situated on land off Whitewalls Drive in Colne.

The company, owned by Mohsin and Zuber Issa, originally applied to Pendle Council for planning permission to redevelop the 8.6-acre site in January.

In July it withdrew the proposal to amend the highways layout.

Now the brothers have submitted a new application to create a petrol filling station, car wash, convenience store, drive-thru coffee unit and two industrial units creating 90-plus jobs.

A supporting statement from Nexus Planning says: “The development proposes to develop the plot creating a petrol filling station and electric charging hub, coffee drive-thru and employment units.

“The site is currently unused and at the end of a major transport route which links Colne to neighbouring East Lancashire urban areas and over to Manchester and Preston.

“The proposal will potentially provide quality employment opportunities across the site and fulfil the demand for petrol and electric charging within the area.

“Euro Garages currently have a programme of building new sites and redeveloping existing sites which are located at strategic points on the highway network.

“These sites depend on existing volumes of passing traffic and, typically, they provide a modern, clean, mixed development of a petrol station with associated sales building, with ATM and drive-thru unit.

“The site is strategically located adjacent to junction 14 of the M65, between the towns of Colne and Nelson on the A6068.

“Overall, the proposals will strengthen the strategic importance of the M65 corridor to the borough, and the role of Colne as a key centre.The proposal also seeks to create new units for commercial and industrial use.”