The cleared site of the former national Forensic Science Service laboratory at Washington Hall in Euxton is set to be redeveloped into a business, industrial and storage park under an application lodged by the Stafford Turner Self-Administered Pension Fund.
Proposal and planning background
The scheme seeks permission to erect three new structures delivering a total of 30 storage and industrial units, operating under use classes B2 (general industrial) and B8 (storage and distribution). The site was vacated when the national laboratory in Chorley closed in March 2011, a move that led to the loss of approximately 185 local jobs.
Chorley Borough Council previously approved demolition and commercial redevelopment on part of the wider former laboratory site in 2015, and some development has already been implemented, including a building now occupied by a scaffolding firm. The remaining cleared land has been used informally to store buses and coaches and lies north-west of West Way, opposite Chorley Community Fire Station and close to Lancashire Fire and Rescue training facilities.
Green Belt issues and developer case
The site is within the Green Belt and is designated as a Major Developed Site in the Green Belt, a designation that carries specific planning constraints. The planning statement submitted to the council argues the scheme would make efficient use of previously developed land and would support local economic activity by providing small-scale units suitable for start-ups, light industrial occupiers and storage operators.
"The benefits of the scheme clearly outweigh the identified Green Belt harm," the agent for the pension fund states in the planning submission.
That contention will be tested by planning officers and potentially by councillors, who must weigh the economic argument against national and local planning policies intended to protect the openness of the Green Belt.
What the scheme would mean for jobs, local firms and the wider market
At face value, the proposal promises to deliver tailored small business accommodation where the national lab once stood. The planning statement emphasises the need for modern, flexible, small-scale employment space for local enterprises.
But there are caveats. The application does not itself promise specific job numbers linked to the new units. That omission is significant because the site’s history is marked by a substantial loss of employment: when the Forensic Science Service was wound down, roughly 185 posts were lost locally and forensic work moved into a mix of private providers and in-house collaborations across regional police forces. Replacing the scale and quality of those roles with smaller industrial and storage units would represent a different employment profile – typically more part-time, lower paid or operational roles than the high-skilled forensic positions previously on site.
- Site previously housed the national Forensic Science Service laboratory until March 2011.
- Planning permission for partial redevelopment granted in 2015; some building already in use.
- Current proposal: three buildings providing 30 B2/B8 units.
Policy context and next steps
Redevelopment of previously developed land can count in favour of limited Green Belt changes where the wider public benefit is clear. The applicant’s argument — that improving the site’s appearance, management and employment offer outweighs Green Belt harm — is a standard planning line but one that still faces scrutiny under both national guidance and local development plans.
Chorley Borough Council will assess the application against those policy tests. Officers will need to consider whether the economic benefits, the form of employment likely to be generated and the use of brownfield land are sufficient to justify development within a Major Developed Site in the Green Belt.
For the local economy, the difference between a cluster of small B2/B8 units and the specialised, higher-skilled posts lost in 2011 is material. Small industrial and storage spaces can boost local supply chains and help start-ups scale, but they seldom restore the type of skilled professional roles that supported wages and career pathways at the former national laboratory. The application therefore presents a familiar trade-off for councils: modest local economic gains weighed against long-standing Green Belt protections and a legacy of lost specialised employment.
| Key dates | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011 | National FSS laboratory at Washington Hall closed (c.185 jobs lost) |
| 2015 | Planning permission granted for demolition and redevelopment of part of site |
| 2026 | Application submitted for three buildings totalling 30 B2/B8 units |
