A PLAN to change the use of a Boundary Mill warehouse in Colne will be considered by Pendle councillors in early January.

A planning application sent to the borough council is seeking permission to change the use of the vacant warehouse at Regent Street to general industrial use.

The warehouse site is separate to the main Boundary Mill retail outlet at Burnley Road. The new proposals do not involve any external works but internally the first-floor mezzanine floors are to be removed under the proposals.

The applicant is named as a Mr Bannister of RB Business Park in Colne and the agent is Cyril Cambridge of CRC Design architecture services in Burnley.

A report by planning officers to Pendle councillors for the borough’s Colne and District Committee meeting on January 6 describes the potential new use as manufacturing. But officers say the building’s location and the road layout mean industrial noise disturbance to local households or traffic disruption should not arise.

It has raised objections from some authorities over flooding risks.

The report states: “The building is located 180 metres to the south of homes on Greenfield Road, Colne, to the other side of Colne Water and beyond the sewage works. These are the closest residential properties, as the other uses surrounding the application site are all commercial. It should be noted that the properties on Greenfield Road are also 65 metres from the M65 motorway, which is a source of background noise.

“The application site is in a protected employment area where uses such as this are encouraged. The building is constructed of concrete block with a metal cladding surrounding it. More recently, with the corporate colours of the occupiers changing, a third ‘skin’ in the cavity and a white colour cladding has also covered the building. Therefore, there are effectively three layers of material covering the building, providing both noise and thermal insulation.

“Given the distances from existing homes and the position of the application site within an employment area there would be no unacceptable impact upon neighbouring amenity.”

The warehouse and car parking are located south of Colne Water and beyond sewerage works. It is also partly within local flood zones, the  report states.

But the Environment Agency is objecting to the current plans. 

It said: “Whilst we acknowledge that the building lies in flood zone 1, there are areas within the site boundary adjacent to the river that fall within flood zones 2 and 3. Any change-of-use application impacted by flood zone 3 must be accompanied by a flood risk assessment. In the absence of this, we object to this application and recommend that planning permission is refused.”

Lancashire County Council, which is classed as the lead local flood authority for planning applications. has also raised the same concern about the lack of a flood risk assessment and is recommending refusal until an assessment has been submitted.

However, Pendle planning officers disagree and are recommending approval by councillors. They state in the report: “The proposal is for a change to manufacturing. There would therefore be no purpose for requiring a flood risk assessment and so in this case we disagree with the Environment Agency and lead local flood authority and have not requested a flood risk assessment. ”

Other issues for the meeting include a planning application for a raised deck with storage and a bin store below at Christ Church School on Keighley Road in Colne. This is recommended for approval.

The committee meeting is at Colne Town Hall at 7pm on Thursday, January 6.