The transformation of Burnley town centre | Rachel Bayley

It certainly was a blast from the past.

Not so much for my colleague Luke who joined me, who at 21, is too young to have even had a night in there.

But for myself, I was genuinely pleased to see that this once staple of a Burnley night out is being transformed into luxury apartments.

There will be 26 apartments including a penthouse, with each planned to have their own parking. They’re bright, airy and spacious and the open-plan kitchen and living spaces will no doubt prove extremely popular with those who choose to snap one up.

The rooms are a good size and whilst prices haven’t been officially released yet, I am told that Help to Buy would be in place, potentially making them a much more affordable option than renting.

Aside from a quality accommodation offering, mainly targeted at young professionals, it’s a relief to see that this listed building has been given plenty of care and attention, rather than being left derelict for the long term.

The majority of companies working on this project are local, providing a fantastic boost to the economy.

Plus, work started around the time of lockdown 1.0 last year, so it’s testament to everyone involved that amazing progress has been made during the past 12 months despite a pandemic.

The perfect work-life balance

The apartments will add to the offering the borough provides for those who want the ideal work-life balance. The borough of Burnley provides some of the most affordable housing in the UK, whether modern apartments, traditional cottages, sizeable terraces or new build homes.

Affordable living continues with our great value restaurants, cafes and bars, 40 of which are within a mile of the town centre.

And then there’s the fact that we are 80% rural.

After a long day in the (home) office, you can head off on a walk around one of our stately home grounds, go on a mountain bike ride, ramble on one of our many trails, go horse riding…the list is endless.

And as something of a professional spa goer, I can honestly say that Crow Wood Spa is, to me, the best value spa I’ve ever been to. For the abundance of facilities, the beautiful outdoors area, the fantastic menu at Bertram’s, I don’t think you can beat it. And that fact I can hop in my car and be there in under ten minutes makes it even more special that it’s right here on our doorstep.

From the amount of messages we’ve had on both our burnley.co.uk and burnley.social social media channels about the new apartments, it seems like plenty of people are interested in making the former foundry their new home.

We’ve been invited back in a few weeks to take a look at the completed apartments, so keep your eyes peeled on our channels for new video and photos.