SUPPORTERS of a new retail development for a disused supermarket in Burnley look to have beaten off an opposing bid which wants to create a job centre on the site.

Rival plans for the old Co-op superstore in Curzon Street put businesses and politicians in opposing camps.

Burnley MP Peter Pike is firmly in favour of the job centre proposals, while the Chamber of Trade, Town Centre Mangagement team and Market Manager have all voiced strong objections to the Government-proposed job centre.

That side believe it would adversely affect Burnley's development as a retail centre.

Councillors have now earmarked the job centre application for refusal at their next planning meeting.

Mr Pike today warned the council to make sure they have Burnley's best interests at heart and said: "I hope they know what they are doing."

Stannifer, the company which last year bought the Curzon Street and Charter Walk shopping areas, has major plans for the site.

It wants to extend Burnley's shopping district by demolishing the empty supermarket and building new shops at the end of Curzon Street. And it has been backed by the Chamber of Trade and the privately-funded town centre managers.

A plan from the Government's Job Centre Plus would have seen the existing Job Centre in Bankfield closed and replaced with a new hi-tech base at the Curzon Street site.

According to Stannifer, its plans would breath new life into Burnley's shopping districts and transform the town centre.

Chamber of Trade secretary Rita Walsh, said: "Our objective is to keep the site reserved for retail use. Another consideration is that part of the Job Centre Plus bid includes office space. Burnley has a lot of prime office suites, like the newly-refurbished Safeway House in Centenary Way, that is lying empty."

Her sentiments have been echoed by Burnley's town centre management team, led by Lisa Durkin, which put together a report to the council outlining why the site should be earmarked for retail use.

She said: "I don't oppose the Job Centre Plus bid, but I can't support it in that location -- we need to keep it for retail use."

According to Mrs Durkin Burnley has two options for the future. "The first is not to create additional retail space and with towns like Blackburn, Burnley, Bury and Preston investing, Burnley will get left behind.

"The second is to ensure that the Co-op site, which is the last key retail development space in Burnley, redeveloped and to advance the town's profile."

Mr Pike said: "I support the Job Centre Plus bid. I am not against the Stannifer proposals, but nobody has presented anything on paper to show me what they are talking about is a reality rather than an aspiration. Whereas the Job Centre Plus would be a flagship site for Burnley and East Lancashire." The JobCentre Plus application will go before councillors at the Development Control meeting on Thursday.