AMBITIOUS plans have been lodged for the first phase of an £11 million industrial development.

Barnfield Construction has submitted plans to Burnley Council for Advance Point - a new development to be built on an empty plot of land off Rossendale Road opposite the award winning Usha restaurant.

If approved, the first phase would consist of 36 speculative units which would then be available for rent or purchase by businesses.

Plans for the second phase are expected to be submitted to the council later this year and subject to approval, Barnfield hopes to begin construction on the first phase before 2021.

The site is currently agricultural land, formerly used for grazing.

Tim Webber, Barnfield’s managing director said: "We are hugely excited to be bringing forward these proposals.

"Situated between junctions 9 and 10 of the M65, this site offers strong connectivity for business and significant opportunity to relocate or expand in a modern and well thought through development.”

Local commercial property agents Trevor Dawson have been appointed to market the scheme.

Michael Cavannagh, director at Trevor Dawson, added: "There have been a lack of speculative development along the M65 in recent years however the market has moved on and there is pent up demand for schemes such as Advance Point which will be a great asset to the market.

"Barnfield’s confidence to bring forward this scheme confirms the buoyant demand currently in East Lancashire and within the industrial market.”

The second phase would be developed with a specified client yet to be identified so that it could be tailored to their needs.

A spokesman for Campbell Driver Architects, which has drawn up the scheme on behalf of Barnfield, said: "The site has been designed to ease the transition from rural to town, through the use of low elevations and a strong ecology focus.

"The units have been designed as low rise small terraced buildings for small & growing businesses in line with the local plan."

In a formal objection to the proposal, a Burnley Wildlife Conservation Forum spokesman said: "Because this plot of land's pasture is in agricultural use for low-intensity grazing by either sheep or cattle, it is in good condition for upland bird species and in particular is an important foraging and breeding site for them - especially skylark and lapwing.

"This planning application's wildlife habitat and landscaping proposals are wholly inappropriate and inadequate mitigation for the total loss of this pasture habitat resource for foraging and breeding by upland bird species."