NEW artist impressions offer a first glimpse of how a major new residential development forming part of the multi-million pound regeneration of Brierfield Mills will look.

The derelict site in Glen Way, Brierfield, is the subject of a £32m leisure development known as Northlight.

Now a planning application lodged by Pendle Council and Barnfield Construction to convert part of the site into 52 flats and business units, marks the latest stage of the development.

A cafe and pub have also been potentially earmarked for the site.

Under the bid, the two and three-bedroom flats will be built on the third floor of the building and part of the first and second floors, while business units will be located on the ground with a communal entrance.

The submission of the plans marks the latest stage of the development, which first started when thee council bought the site for £1.5m in March 2012.

In the coming weeks, council bosses are set to demolish the remaining buildings on the site including the derelict Railway Tavern building and car sales and tyre bay to form a landscaped car park for the scheme.

It is intended that all the buildings will be demolished once all the buildings have been vacated.

Cllr Mohammed Iqbal, the leader of Pendle Council, said the fast pace of development on the 'ambitious project' proves it has a 'great future'.

“It’s fantastic to see Northlight taking shape to create a new learning, living, working, leisure and cultural destination for the North West," said Cllr Iqbal, who is also the chairman of the Pendle Enterprise And Regeneration (PEARL), the joint venture development company owned by the council and Barnfield Investment properties which owns Northlight.

Tim Webber, managing director of Barnfield and a PEARL board member said he was 'immensely proud' of what had been achieved so far in the project.

He said: “We’ve working intensely and with great care to sensitively restore and refurbish this elegant complex of mill buildings for new purposes.

“As Pendle developers with our headquarters within sight of Northlight, it’s been a labour of love for us and we’re immensely proud of what we’ve achieved so far.”

Natalie Sarabia-Johnson, head of architecture for Liberata, which is working on Northlight for PEARL, said: “It’s an amazing space and the buildings are very robust which gives us a fantastic canvas to work on.

“PEARL has been a very forward thinking organisation to work for and the new plans, if approved, include residential apartments, a bar and a restaurant and business units.

"These will add variety to the complex and enhance what Northlight will offer.”

Graham Cowley, chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) growth deal management board which has financially contributed to the project, said: “The £5m growth deal investment in the Northlight scheme reflects how the LEP supports projects which add real value to the county’s economy at both a local and regional level."

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson welcomed the submission of the plans as ‘really positive’ news for Brierfield and the wider area, while Brierfield councillor Naeem Hussain Ashraf said it was 'fantastic news'.

The new Northlight venture officially begun in October last year and includes a new Burnley FC in the Community leisure centre and Lancashire Adult Learning’s new county base.