Worsthorne residents to have say on future of local area with Neighbourhood Plan

Made possible through access to a share of a £22.8 million government grant, the Neighbourhood Plan invites residents to provide input on the development of homes, shops and green spaces – as well as collaborate with decision-makers to protect heritage and landscapes, improve public transport and combat crime.

The Parish Council began the plan by identifying 11 key areas to be addressed by the community, consisting of: landscape, leisure and tourism, community, heritage, economy, energy, traffic, transport, design and the settlements of the local area. An in-depth roadmap for each of these focus areas has been developed, outlining how the local community would prefer developers to allocate their resources and time over the next eight years.

Now, residents and businesses are urged to share their thoughts on the Neighbourhood Plan by downloading the draft – www.worsthornewithhurstwoodpc.co.uk – or by attending one of the following three drop-in sessions throughout March.

● Thursday 7th March, 6pm - 8pm. Hurstwood Church, Hurstwood Lane, Worsthorne, BB10 3LF.

● Saturday 9th March, 10am - 12pm. The Reading Rooms, Church Square, Worsthorne, BB10 3NH.

● Saturday 16th March, 10am - 12pm. Pike Hill Library, Langwyth Road, BB10 3JX.

Once feedback has been received, the plan will be refined and finalised before it will sit alongside the Local Plan prepared by Burnley Borough Council. Here, it will come into force as part of the area's statutory development plan.