Plans for the conversion of the former Woolworths/Burton shops in Nelson town centre have been approved by councillors.
Members of Pendle Council’s Nelson Committee gave their unanimous approval to an application by the Myan Partnership for the redevelopment of the site in Scotland Road and Leeds Road where the old Woolworths and Burtons stores currently stand.
This will see the former butchers shop in Leeds Road demolished, the arcade converted and extended to form nine flats and external alterations carried out to the frontages in both Leeds Road and Scotland Road.
A two-storey side extension in Leeds Road and previously approved plans for 11 first-floor flats would bring the total of apartments to 23, a report to the meeting said.
The shops have been empty for more than a decade and their condition in recent years has been widely considered a blight on the town centre.
Coun. Mohammed Iqbal said work was ongoing and it was hoped the project would be completed in the next few months.
Coun. Nadeem Ahmed said it was a “fantastic development” for Nelson as the buildings had been empty for a long time.
“There has been a loty of negative talk about Nelson and we have to talk the town up in a positive way. This is a perfect example of this,” he said.