100 new homes to be built in Burnley regeneration

Land in Duke Bar, Daneshouse and Stoneyholme – some of the town’s poorest areas – will be regenerated when work starts to build new homes next year.

More than 100 houses are expected to be built over four years off New Hall Street, Barden Lane and Brougham Street.

And, in further good news, Burnley Council will now have nearly £12m. to spend this year on capital projects such as the Weavers’ Triangle and Burnley Knowledge Park as well as continued facelifting of houses.

The council also looks set to reclaim nearly all of the £1m. deposit it placed in doomed Icelandic bank Landsbanki, which collapsed in September 2008.

Burnley Council’s Executive Committee approved the plans when it met on Tuesday.

Speaking about the new homes. Coun. Margaret Lishman, Executive member for resources, said: “The council has been putting together parcels of land in these areas for some years with a view to clearing them and making them attractive to developers to build new homes.

“We’ve been approached by a developer with a strong track record and good knowledge of the area interested in building a range of high quality homes. This is great news, both for the areas affected and the borough as a whole. It’s a shot in the arm for our housing market and is part of a wider trend of new homes being built across our borough. People want to see new homes being built on cleared land; this is exactly what’s happening.

“This development will also help encourage further building work in future.”

Public consultations will take place in the areas, probably in September, to give residents more details about what is planned and what types of homes will be built.

A planning application for the new homes is expected late autumn with building work set to start next year.

Meanwhile, the council’s capital budget of £11.7m. has been revised from the original budget of £9m. set in February.

Adjustments include money to be spent on fire and asbestos works at Burnley Market Hall, upgrading the borough’s CCTV system, and ward councillors in Brunshaw and Gawthorpe putting ward opportunities fund money towards playground improvements.