Improvements to Burnley Town centre shopping area to go ahead!
The first phase of a four-year programme to create improvements lower St James Street in Burnley town centre has begun.
It follows confirmation of £1.2 million of funding from Historic England, as a result of a successful bid by Burnley Council, to help create a Heritage Action Zone in the area.
A series of public realm improvements will form part of a wider scheme to regenerate the area. Therefore making it a more attractive “gateway” into the town centre.
This is first part of a regeneration scheme which has been drawn up by the council and will be delivered through Historic England’s successful HAZ initiative. Breathing new life into the historic high street, bringing physical improvements and cultural activities. Aiming to regenerate and restore local historic character.
It has a unique strategic positioning between the growing student population at UCLan and the town centre. The untapped potential of this part of the town’s core, will be enhanced.
Building on the momentum created by restoring the Burnley Empire Theatre, the HAZ aims to nurture an evolving creative district by creating more opportunities for local artists. Above all else, bringing together the local community to celebrate Burnley’s identity and strong sense of pride.
Improvements to town centre shopping are here
Council leader Charlie Briggs states:
“This is great news for Burnley and we’re very happy the hard work put in by the council to apply for this money has paid off.
“Lower St James Street is identified as a key project in the Town Centre and Canal side Masterplan. This will build on our planned public realm improvements, help to renovate the heritage buildings in the area and revitalise that part of the town centre.
“We’ve invested in improving other parts of the town centre and it’s important that lower St James Street is being brought up to a similar standard. Thus make it more attractive and encourage more people to go into that part of the town centre.
“It fits in well with the wider regeneration of the shopping centre. Especially with the proposed Cinema/Leisure development at Pioneer Place, the investment that the UCLan is putting into the Weavers’ Triangle, and the work transforming Burnley into a university town.”
The programme aims to create a vibrant cultural quarter sitting between the town centre and the Weavers’ Triangle.
The funding application said:
“The borough has a history of creativity, but many creative people have to move away from the borough to find suitable studio space and artistic networks. There is untapped potential in the buildings in St James Street, together with experience of the partners to turn this trend around and deliver a new creative community in the heart of the conservation area.”
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