Work on the £6.1 million Town2Turf regeneration scheme in Burnley is starting to take shape with the initial phase of work to improve pavements along both sides of Harry Potts Way currently taking place.
It forms part of wider plans to create a “regeneration corridor” from one side of the town centre to the other, from the Weavers’ Triangle through to Turf Moor.
Commenting Antony Higginbotham MP said:
Improving the look and feel of Harry Potts Way is just the latest regeneration work taking place within our area. And something we should be excited to see completed.
Secured though the Government’s Levelling Up Fund it will see improvements going right the way down Yorkshire Street, benefitting local businesses and the cluster of pubs we have towards the culvert.
I know some are unsure if this is worth the expense, but for me it’s about showing the thousands of people who visit Burnley from around the country how brilliant we are. And ultimately driving footfall into the town centre to support our local businesses, where we’ll soon have the addition of the brand-new Pioneer Place complex too.
The project is being funded through Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
Once work on the Park View pub side of the road is completed it will move over to the northern (football club) side. Temporary arrangements to allow pedestrian access will be in place. Work on the overall project is set to be completed by the summer of this year.
County Councillor Scott Smith, Lancashire County Council's lead member for highways and active travel, said:
Improving this route for pedestrians will make the walk to and from Turf Moor much safer and more pleasant for the thousands of people who make this journey every year.
There is a lot of work to do over the coming months, and I'm grateful for people's patience as some disruption will be unavoidable, but I'm pleased that it is now underway as the result will be worth it.
Stuart Hunt, Burnley FC director, said:
Town2Turf is a fantastic initiative that will bring great benefits to pedestrians and local businesses on the corridor between the town centre and Turf Moor.
We are pleased to work in partnership with Burnley Council and Lancashire County Council on such a valuable scheme and to see such significant investment in Burnley.
The scheme will include the roundabout at the junction of Yorkshire Street and Church Street being replaced by a traffic light junction with pedestrian crossings, the subway under Centenary Way being closed and the area landscaped, changes to the road system around the bus station, new pedestrian crossings, and improved paving, seating, and lighting.
Work has also been carried out to clear vegetation around the historic aqueduct carrying the Leeds and Liverpool Canal over Yorkshire Street. Further work to refurbish the aqueduct, including re-sealing the structure to prevent corrosion, cleaning of stonework, and repainting, will be carried out later in the scheme.
