A CARE home for the elderly is set to be built on the site of a pub destroyed by fire in 2016.

The former Bull and Butcher, Manchester Road, Burnley, was knocked down after the blaze which saw the roof cave in and an entire floor collapse.

Now LNT Care Developments has been granted planning permission to replace it with a 66 bedroom two-storey residential care home with a secure dementia unit.

It is expected to create 60 jobs.

The scheme was given planning permission by Burnley Council development control committee.

The decision has been welcomed by local Coal Clough with Deerplay Liberal Democrat Cllr Gordon Birtwistle who said: “This is an excellent scheme. It tidies the site up. It is a nice looking building. Everything is right about it.”

An officer’s report to councillors said: “The proposal is to erect a two-storey care home on the cleared site of the former Bull and Butcher at the southerly edge of the built-up area at Manchester Road.

“The 66 bed residential care home has been designed in a `H` shape centrally within the site, with car parking to the east side and surrounded by gardens to all sides.

“The Habergham Eaves Parish Council seating area which also contains a blue plaque to mark the nearby site (within the fields to the west of the site) of the historic Buttercross would not be affected by the proposal.

“The proposed scheme has been designed internally to provide two types of care – general residential and residential dementia in secure conditions.

“The central area of the layout would be used lounge and dining rooms and a number of additional smaller garden rooms/lounge/quiet rooms on both the ground and first floors. The reception area on the ground floor would also contain a small café for use by residents.

“The loss of a small housing site has been considered. In this case, the loss of the partial housing allocation would not seriously prejudice the council`s supply of housing when considered against the benefits of developing the site for a purpose-built residential care home for the elderly.

“The proposed plans display a high quality development that takes account of the sensitive location at a gateway to Burnley urban area.”