Public safety remains at the heart of plans for Burnley’s new waste transfer station, with the Council going above and beyond minimum requirements to further reduce fire risk and ensure the facility is safe and properly protected from the outset.
Providing an effective, efficient and reliable waste collection service is one of the key daily services the Council delivers and one that every resident relies upon.
Having the right local infrastructure to support that service is essential. Once built, the new waste transfer station at Heasandford Industrial Estate will provide the vital link between collecting rubbish from residents’ homes and its onward transportation for treatment or disposal.
Full Council approved the investment in October 2025 and, following further advice from the Council’s insurers, additional fire safety measures are now being incorporated into the waste transfer station.
The planned waste transfer station will be situated within the established Heasandford Industrial Estate, away from residential properties. Despite this, the Council is taking a deliberately cautious and risk-averse approach to fire safety.
Fires can occur at waste facilities, but enhanced early detection and rapid intervention measures will provide an additional layer of protection and further minimise the risk of a fire developing or spreading.
The enhanced protection proposed for the station includes a substantial dedicated water supply in the form of a water tank and targeted water cannons linked to fire detection equipment.
The system is designed to detect abnormal heat or a developing fire at an early stage and direct water specifically at the affected area. This allows a hot spot or developing incident to be targeted quickly, helping to contain it at source and prevent fire spreading through stored waste.
These additional measures will increase the overall cost of the development, but the Council believes the investment is justified to provide an enhanced level of protection for the public and staff, as well as safeguarding what will be a vital council asset.
Protecting the station also means protecting the resilience of the waste collection service. A significant fire could damage the station, take an important operational asset out of use and disrupt a service on which residents across Burnley depend every week.
Councillor Mohammed Ishtiaq, Burnley Council’s Executive Member for Community and Environmental Services, said:
“Collecting people’s waste reliably and efficiently is one of the fundamental services residents expect from their council, so it is important that we have the right infrastructure in Burnley to deliver that service.
“Safety has been paramount in developing these plans. We know fires can happen at waste sites, which is precisely why we want to design the right safeguards into this facility before it is built.
“Residents should be reassured that we are not simply doing the minimum. We are going significantly beyond the standard precautions, investing in additional safeguards to minimise fire risk and protect our staff, the public and what will be a vital council asset.
“That greater level of protection comes at an additional cost, but we believe prevention is the right approach. We want a station that is safe, resilient and capable of supporting the reliable waste service Burnley residents expect.”
With the station located away from residential properties and enhanced fire protection being designed in from the outset, the Council is putting a comprehensive package of additional safeguards in place to minimise fire risk and provide the highest level of protection for the public, staff and this vital council asset.
Post expires at 4:16pm on Wednesday January 13th, 2027