Imagination needed to give area a facelift

I would like to say how much I agree with the article by Edward Lee entitled “Leave green spaces alone”.

I live on the edge of an area of Burnley which has a very large number of empty terraced houses. The majority of all properties are of a low standard and do not meet the needs of modern families so they are difficult to let on a permanent basis, resulting in the whole area becoming more and more rundown over the last 15 years or so.

This is an area that really has a lot going for it – Burnley Football Club, Burnley Tennis Club, two excellent parks, a new fire station with community facilities and the straight mile of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal (running along the edge of the area but in need of some looking after).

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I am sure that with some imaginative co-operation between the council (even though there is a shortage of cash), ambitious builders and some private landlords/owners (who are currently lumbered with on-going expenses and no prospect of any gains) this area could be flattened and modern family homes built. How about the council arranging compulsory purchases with a builder footing the bill? As a layman I don’t know how practical this would be but surely something along these lines is worth looking into?

This would really be a major benefit to the town rather than an eyesore that visitors to the area’s facilities see. People would start to come back to Burnley and commute or even work in the town.

Lower Bank Hall Resident

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