A MULTI-MILLION pound business development could generate 500 jobs in Chorley.

Landowners Chorley Council has put in an application for a site off Alker Lane that could create offices, light industrial and general industrial premises.

The authority would be investing about £1m in the site to get it ready for development with a potential return of £200,000 per year in income, depending upon the final scheme that is taken forward which could cost £4million to £8million.

Cllr Alistair Bradley, leader of Chorley Council, said: “We’re doing a lot of work at the moment to bring forward employment sites across the borough that will generate us much-needed income that we can put towards providing services for residents while creating hundreds of jobs for local people.

“The site at Alker Lane would complement the Strawberry Fields digital hub, which is just a short distance away, and help provide premises for businesses looking to expand or relocate into the borough.

“It’s just one of many sites coming forward at the moment, including the Botany Bay and Cowling Farm sites, which shows there is a lot of confidence in the borough as a place to invest.”

If planning permission is granted and work is carried out to the site the development could cost between £4million and £8million, with more work needed to be done to finalise these figures.

The council is favouring a local authority and contractor partner agreement that could see the authority debt free in relation to the investment by the time the work is completed.

The site would be accessed off Euxton Lane through the entrance currently being created for the Strawberry Fields digital hub.

“We have to wait for planning approval before moving this forward but the site is already allocated for employment use in a highly sustainable location so we are hopeful that things will move fairly quickly,” said Councillor Bradley.

“A consultation event has already been held with local residents and those comments have helped to shape the planning application.”

The land was acquired by the council in 2017 as part of a land swap with Homes England enabling the council to drive forward the development off sites like this.