PLANS to demolish one of Accrington's best-known factories are set to come before Hyndburn Council within the next few weeks.
Barratt Manchester propose to build 82 new houses on the site of the former Lucas Rists factory on Pickup Street - which employed more than 800 people in its heyday. The factory, later known as Leoni Wiring Systems UK, closed in November 2000 and has been empty ever since.
The Mayor of Hyndburn, Councillor Mrs Sandra Hayes, worked at the factory for 23 years until it closed.
She said: "I think it will be sad to see it go, especially for the people who worked there, but it was sad when it first closed down. There were more than 800 people employed at the factory and we were like one big family. But when we were all still there, people on the shop floor used to say that the land would be sold for housing - and they have been proved right.
"I only hope that it brings the area back up - there used to be a few little shops round there and they were hit really badly when the factory closed. But hopefully if the housing goes ahead, it might build up custom again."
A spokesperson for Barratt Manchester said it did not want to comment until the plans had been approved.
