Burnley youth zone plans move a step closer

It endorsed a recommendation from the borough’s ruling executive to grant to national youth organisation OnSide, to progress the design and development work for a new young people’s activity hub. The zone will be in Burnley town centre.

The council can now make a grant to the charity towards the cost of developing detailed proposals and a business case for a youth zone, which could cost up to £8m. to build.

If any final scheme goes ahead the authority would need to raise between 50 and 75% of the costs with OnSide securing the balance from philanthropic donors with an ongoing revenue contribution of £200,000 to £300,000.

The balance of the running costs would be raised from membership fees and OnSide fundraising. The meeting also adopted a Conservative group amendment to the executive’s report which recommended conditions be placed on any grant negotiated with Onside for the design and development work.

They include:

• OnSide must conduct a competitive tender process for the RIBA Stage 3 design work; and
• any portion of the approved funding amount not expended on the RIBA Stage 3 design work, as verified by Burnley Borough Council, must be returned to the Council within three months of completing the design work or by June 30 2026, whichever is earlier.

The amended report also says that in addition, and separate from the grant agreement:

• the final amount allocated to be spent on design fees will be made available to the members of the proposed Scrutiny Working Group within a month of the work being tendered;
• the Executive will seek guidance from Lancashire County Council regarding the potential impact an OnSide Youth Zone would have on the existing Whittam Street Youth Zone.

A separate Labour group amendment to the report fell. This called for the budget to be released only after the executive approved a plan to ensure the future required annual revenue contributions of £200,000 to £300,000 can be achieved and sustained and on confirmation that a youth zone will meet the requirement of an acceptable use for the proposed site in Burnley town centre.

Burnley Council leader Coun. Afrasiab Anwar has previously said of the proposal: “This proposal is a clear signal of our intent to invest in the next generation. With 13 out of Burnley’s 15 wards recognised as being deprived of youth provision by the last Government, it remains vitally important that we continue on delivering on this ambition due to the benefits provisions like these bring for our young people.”