Plans for a large traffic cone depot with 22 HGV spaces near Rawtenstall spark worries about traffic and disruption.
Melba Products Ltd, based in Ramsbottom, wants to build there. The location is on Blackburn Road, formerly a chicken farm called Mayfield Chicks.
A report mentions the land’s suitability for business use within an urban area, while noting its proximity to nature like the Green Belt. The River Irwell Sculpture Trail and the East Lancashire Railway are also nearby.
Important places are close by including the Grade II-listed Ashenbottom Farmhouse, Ewood Hall, and Ewood Bridge Mill. Cornerbrook, a crane company, is already there, while James Killelea & Company stores materials on a portion of the site.
Some people have concerns about road safety, increased truck traffic, potential traffic congestion, noise, and lighting. They also express concern about the look of the site and other Melba sites.
The plan requires a 4,000 square meter storage building, with outside storage. Cornerbrook would get its own access, accompanied by 52 car spaces, charging docks, and twenty-two HGV parking spots.
The project includes landscaping and gates, as well as planned lighting and access widening. The path along the River Irwell will be changed, with Rossendale potentially approving the plan and letting planning staff work out the details.
One condition recommends payment from Melba for tree and path projects: £6,000 for Rossendale Forest trees and another £2,000 to fund path improvements.
A landscape advisor, Penny Bennett, reviewed and subsequently approved the plan. She believes the site is well-used, and although the scale is large, the impact is deemed acceptable.
Architects reduced visual impact using simple designs and proper colors. The lights consider dark wildlife habitats, and new planting will boost wildlife paths. The new design preserves grassland habitats, though woodland will reduce a bit, supplemented with new trees and hedges.