BURNLEY MP Gordon Birtwistle is hopeful that the latest phase of the town’s renaissance will bloom after plans for the new Vision Park were approved.

Proposals to bring 12,000 square metres-worth of manufacturing and office space to land behind the college and university campus in Princess Way have been agreed by the development control committee.

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Construction is based around five main blocks, with two of the principal buildings fronting Rectory Road, and the council is working with Birmingham-based Trebor Developments on finding new tenants for the venture, which should bring between 250 and 400 jobs to the area.

Mr Birtwistle said: “This is excellent news for Burnley and represents more investment in high-skilled jobs for the borough.

“The borough council has three or four companies interested in the site and if the buildings are ‘design and build’ then they can move in fairly swiftly.”

The announcement comes after a promising start to 2015 for one of Burnley’s other main development sites, the former Michelin tyre factory at Heasandford.

Forty new jobs should be created if four new industrial units, planned by Metro Metals, behind Hycrome Aerospace, are approved by councillors and eventually occupied.

Mr Birtwistle added: “The second phase of redeveloping at the former Michelin site is well underway with Kaman moving in and BCW Engineering. There are also five or six units being built as part of Innovation Drive and I believe that nearly all of them will have tenants.

“These are kind of quality engineering and manufacturing positions which we want to bring to Burnley.”

A consideration requested by the planning authority was that details of parking for at least 20 bicycles and eight motorbikes should be submitted for work on the development begins.

Council planning officers have also asked for a ‘gateway feature’ for Rectory Road and dropped kerb crossings between the site, which once housed the town’s household waste centre, and the Princess Way subway.

Before Christmas Townsend Records also confirmed that it would be basing its distribution business at Burnley Bridge Business Park, off junction nine of the M65.