A £50million expansion scheme that will bring more than a thousand jobs into the area is nearing completion.

On Friday, business leaders and council chiefs were given a sneak preview of the imposing glass fronted offices that are being built at BAE Systems, Samlesbury.

The two offices, which have cost £25m-a-piece to build, will each house 700 workers.

Although the first office is not fully complete - the glass front is just now going on and the rest is a concrete shell - its unveiling coincides with controversial roadworks on the A59 which start on Monday (Sep 15) and will last for six-months.

The work on the A59 is linked to the BAE Systems project and will see the construction of a new entrance 700 metres further down the road towards Mellor Brook.

During the planning stage, proposals for the BAE development drew strong critiscism from nearby parish councils concerned over the impact increased traffic levels and changes to the road would have on the their community.

But Dave Holmes, investment and strategic planning director for BAE Systems, is confident the development will benefit the area.

He said: “The Samlesbury development demonstrates our commitment to the region. This investment will help ensure that Samlesbury remains an important centre of excellence for aerospace in the north west.”

One of the major factors behind the office development has been BAE’s success in securing major contracts with international air forces for the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. Many workers associated with this contract will be based at the new development.

Currently, there are more than 4,000 workers at the site and extra employees will be transferred to Samlesbury from bases across the region.

Work will also begin at the nearby Swallow Hotel junction where the A59, A677 and Cuerdale Lane meet. The junction will be slightly altered and traffic lights will be installed at Cuerdale Lane in a bid to make the junction safer, especially if more traffic is heading for the BAE site.