‘CONFUSING’ historical designations splitting one of Blackburn’s most scenic places into two ‘conservation areas’ are set to be redrafted.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning committee will look at the proposal to bring Corporation Park into a single conservation area.

Currently, the area is split in two, with the Corporation Park Conservation Area having been designated in 1975 and Corporation Park Two, on the south side of Preston New Road, designated separately in 1990.

The park itself lies within the initial conservation area.

Documents submitted ahead of a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Thursday outline the proposal, which is set to go to a public consultation.

It said: “The purpose is to preserve or enhance the character of the conservation area in accordance with the council’s statutory obligations and provide a basis for making development decisions.

“It is considered appropriate to combine Corporation Park Conservation Area Part Two with the larger Corporation Park Conservation Area to give greater clarity to developers and avoid confusion.

“There are similarities in the broader characteristics of both areas and a single designation would better serve both conservation areas.”

Conservation areas, which were first used in 1967, are designated for their special architectural and historic interest.

There are more than 8,000 of them nationwide and being designated as a conservation area gives greater powers to councils to throw out planning prop-osals that would detract from the heritage of an area.

Once the merging of the two conservation areas has been approved, a four-week consultation will begin, with letters sent to nearby residents and exhibition material displayed at the library and Corporation Park gatehouse.