Ribble Valley Council has now given the green light for United Utilities’ scheme on land off the A671 Pimlico Link Road, which will serve the huge Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP).
The water company is creating a new tunnel to carry drinking water from the Lake District to Greater Manchester, with parts of the seven-year job taking place near Clitheroe.
The decision means the site will go ahead, subject to conditions covering everything from traffic management and lighting to drainage, wildlife, tree planting and eventual restoration of the land.
The car park and HGV area must also be dismantled and the fields reinstated once the HARP works in the area are finished.
Councillors previously called for an independent traffic safety study, expressing fears about queuing and high speeds on the A59 and Pimlico Link Road.
Residents from Worston and Mearley warned that the roads already “feel like a motorway” and argued that the plans would intensify congestion at peak times.
READ MORE: Former community building could be returned to family home
READ MORE: Public green space in Wilpshire could be sold by Lancashire County Council
Although the council has now approved the scheme, the decision notice requires United Utilities to make a number of road safety improvements before the site opens. These include:
- better visibility and signage at the entrance,
- vegetation clearance to improve sightlines,
- gate arrangements to stop HGVs backing up onto the road, and
- a formal Construction Traffic Management Plan to control speeds and the movement of convoys.
The council has also insisted that a new walking and cycling route must be created along parts of Pimlico Link Road and the A59, after councillors previously pushed for a “lasting legacy” for local people.
In a note attached to the decision, the council also suggests discussions with Lancashire County Council about introducing a 40mph speed limit on the stretch between Chatburn Road and Pimlico Road, which currently has no footpath or cycle provision.
Because the project sits close to sensitive landscapes and wildlife habitats, the permission comes with detailed environmental conditions. These require United Utilities to:
- protect watercourses and control surface water during construction,
- carry out archaeological investigations,
- manage noise, lighting and dust,
- replace any removed trees with new planting at a roughly 3:1 ratio, and
- submit a Biodiversity Gain Plan showing how nature will be improved on site.
The new facility will act as a base for workers on the aqueduct project, who will park their cars there before being taken by minibus to the main construction compounds further north. HGVs delivering materials will also wait on-site and be released in controlled convoys to avoid clogging rural lanes.
The permission requires the development to start within four years. Once built, the site will operate only for the duration of the HARP works and must be reinstated afterwards.
The decision notice states that the council “worked proactively and positively” with the applicant to resolve concerns, though councillors made clear during earlier debates that they expect the project to deliver community benefits as well as national infrastructure.