Calico progresses Burnley senior housing plan

A former school that has been vacant for almost a quarter of a century could be knocked down and redeveloped into a 39-home affordable complex for people over 55.

Calico Homes has submitted plans to Burnley Council to demolish the grade two-listed former Wood Top School, located on a site on the corner of Cog Lane and Accrington Road, which the authority owns.

The former school building has been closed since 2000 and Calico Homes is working with Burnley Council to develop a housing scheme for the area.

Designed by Buttress Architects, Calico Homes’ proposed plans feature 39, one- and two-bedroom apartments with communal facilities and external private gardens.

PWA Planning is advising Calico and Urban Green is the landscape architect.

The developer is aiming to provide homes for the growing elderly population. In Burnley, the number of over 65s is set to increase from 18% to 28% over the next 16 years.

Wendy Malone, director of property at The Calico Group said: “We are excited to be putting forward proposals for the Wood Top school site which will provide much needed high quality, affordable homes in Burnley.

“We are delighted to be working with Burnley Council in bringing this historic site back into use and continuing our investment in south-west Burnley”.

Several proposals for the site’s redevelopment have come forward over the years but none have proven feasible, according to the developer.

These include plans to convert the former school buildings into apartments, which were approved in 2008, and another application from Calico to use the vacant buildings as a community centre and deliver 24 affordable homes.

That scheme was approved by the council but a bid for lottery funding was turned down, rendering the scheme unviable.

To learn more about the latest plans, search for application reference number FUL/2024/0369 on Burnley Council’s planning portal.