Salterforth villagers to view housing plan on site of Silentnight showroom

18th November 2009 | beds | Residents in Lancashire will today (18th Nov) get the chance to view initial drawings of a housing development proposed to be built on the site of the Silentnight bed group's showroom in Salterforth.

The drawings will be previewed at an open meeting at Salterforth's Village Hall this afternoon (18th November). Parish Council chairman Jeffrey Haydock told the Furnishing Report he had seen the plans, and they show 'the old mill being turned into town houses, and in place of the showroom, a development of houses complete with a village shop, square, a pond and a tree.'

Mark Fraser, who runs Broughton Estates which owns the land, stressed the plans were at a very early stage and that nothing was certain. He also said they were working 'hand in hand' with Silentnight.

Says Silentnight Group financial director Paul McKoen, 'In 2007, we entered into a series of sale and leaseback agreements. At the time we signed a long term 15-year lease. Clearly Mark is the owner of the property and as such is at liberty to put forward alternative plans.'

He added, 'If we do have to find an alternative showroom we will do so and will ensure that it is closely located to the existing site.'

Silentnight uses the showroom for, among other things, its twice yearly At Home event for its retail customers.