Giant ‘b’ sculpture to welcome visitors to Burnley

Visitors to Burnley are to be greeted by a seven-metre high gateway structure which is being funded by businesses in the town.
The 'b'The 'b'
The 'b'

The striking metallic lower case letter ‘b’ will be sited on the site of the former Derby Hotel just off junction 10 of the M65.

The structure is being paid for by Burnley Bondholders, a network of organisations who work together across private and public sectors to promote Burnley,

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Mark Crabtree, chairman of the Bondholders and MD of Grammy-award winning Burnley firm AMS Neve, said: “Bondholders funded the banners you see on the roadside on the key routes into town, showing our key messages of success and growth to visitors and potential investors.

“However, there is currently no Welcome to Burnley sign on our main gateway into town.

“As we’re proud of Burnley’s success and want visitors to know they’ve arrived and feel welcome, we thought it fitting that we should have our own landmark sculpture to mark their entry to our borough and to make a bold statement that we are a place of confidence and enterprise.”

Metal artist Dave Palmer of DP Structures has designed the eye-catching piece.

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He said: “I’m delighted to be able to create something striking for my home town, as much of my work has been outside Burnley, including the recent 40ft tall War Memorial at Lostock Hall.”

Council leader Coun. Mark Townsend said: “The sculpture will be very eyecatching, and will complement the restoration work done to the University Technical College and Sandygate just down the road.

“Having the Bondholder partnership with businesses is really helping make Burnley a powerhouse, and we’re achieving great things together. The reopening of the Todmorden Curve and winning the Most Enterprising Area award are just two examples of our great partnership work.”

Planning permission is currently being sought for the structure.

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