LETTER: We can’t afford to save all the Weavers’ Triangle buildings

I FEEL I must write re Andrew Brown’s Letter “Weaving Sheds Have No Future”.

I totally agree with him and feel we have to think what is happening in Burnley as well as all over the country.

It would be very nice to have a fully revamped Weavers’ Triangle drawing in thousands of visitors from all over the country or even the world, to stay in our hotels, and eat at our restaurants or takeaways, so we have to do one of three things .

1) Spend £xxx Millions on restoring it to its former glory.

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2) Let business use the buildings that are suitable to alter to draw work into Burnley i.e. remove the sheds and pay for the regeneration.

3) Leave the buildings as they are for the next 20 years hoping the Government will give a grant.

Now, lets get street wise: The country is virtually bankrupt, hospital wards and A&E have closed in Burnley, there are cut backs in the Police and the Armed Forces, tax is rising , VAT is rising (all this is mentioned on the same “Letters Page”).

Why don’t we save all the pubs that are closing, all the Working Men’s clubs that have closed, all the churches that have closed, all the cinemas that have closed, the old schools that have been demolished, all the terraced housing that has been demolished, all the railway engine sheds (such as Rosegrove) etc. etc?

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Every single one of the list above was in existence at the same time the Weavers’ Triangle was a working proposition. Why have we not saved everything – because there is no money!

Let those who want the Weavers’ Triangle to be restored put their hands in their own pockets, and see how far they get. Otherwise, compromise and keep part of the heritage. Let firms like Balmers to help keep it working, and, importantly, provide jobs in Burnley.

The only thing that has happened in the last 10 Years is that Watts clock tower has gone and been replaced by a temporary fence. The mill across from it has also been demolished and has a temporary fence, that has paintings on it! How is that heritage?

I was brought up in the area, and lived at No. 56 Trafalgar Street, and I can remember when the Weavers’ Triangle was full of work.

HARVEY CAPSTICK

QUEENS PARK ROAD

BURNLEY