Plans submitted to bring Ikea to Preston area

Lancashire County Council, along with developer Maple Grove Developments, has now submitted formal planning permission for the Cuerden Strategic Site at Bamber Bridge.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea has already signed up to the site, which will feature a mix of shops, offices restaurants, housing and green space abd cycle paths.

Should planning permission be granted, the County Council says that the proposals are expected to deliver over 4,600 jobs for local residents and significant economic benefits for Lancashire.

Lancashire County Council leader Jennifer Mein said: “I am delighted that local people have participated in the consultation and I hope members of the public and stakeholders will continue to offer their feedback as the planning application moves forward.

“We have received some very useful feedback from the community. There is a lot of support for the creation of employment, economic growth, housing and accessible green space. Naturally there was interest in the highways and transport elements of the proposals. Our specialist advisers have considered all of the feedback and have proposed a highways scheme which we believe will work. This will be discussed with South Ribble Borough Council and the relevant highways bodies in due course.

“We will continue to engage with the local community and development team on the key issues as the planning process progresses.”

It will now be up to South Ribble Borough Council to decide whether to grant planning permission for the site.