A NEW group is being set up to watch over a major new town centre project in Burnley.

Burnley Council has decided to form the cross-party group after backing plans to build a state-of-the-art health and leisure centre.

St Peter's multi-storey car park is due to be demolished to make way for the complex, which will be the first of its kind in the country.

At a meeting of Burnley Council's development control committee last week members voted to approve the plans.

But they considered the development so important that a special body was needed to make sure it is carried through without any hitches.

Coun David Heginbotham said the plans, which are the result of a partnership between the council and Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and will include a replacement for the Thompson Centre, were so important that a cross-party working group should be set up to keep an eye on the project as it progresses and more detailed plans are developed.

He said: "We know that it will not come back to this committee again after this meeting, but it is such a major development in this town that we should form a group to oversee it."

His idea has been supported by committee members.

The plans will now have to be referred to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the final decision because the development will be on council-owned land.

The body will have to make sure the development addresses concerns already raised by councillors over the proposal.

Some councillors have expressed fears about the number of car parking spaces proposed, which falls beneath Lancashire County Council's standard for a development of this size.

It includes 168 spaces, but according to the council's standard there should be 234.

Coun Peter Doyle said: "I am concerned about the amount of car parking - there is 100 less than normally allowed.

Concerns were also raised because part of the site falls into a conservation area. Coun Roger Frost said it was important to get the design and materials right because of this.

Sue Graham, planning services manager, said: "There are plenty of examples of sensitively designed modern buildings in conservation areas.

"We have also involved the Council Architecture and a government advisor on design issues, which will be looking at the plans for us."