Consultants sought to create long-term plan for Burnley
The local council plans to appoint a practice or practices to help draw up a vision for the town centre.
Burnley was selected last year, alongside 54 other areas, to benefit from the government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns initiative.
The programme will see each of the areas benefit from £20m of endowment-style funding over the next 10 years.
As part of the initiative, each area is required to set up a town board and draw up a development and investment plan.
In Burnley, the chair of the town board is Karen Buchanan, principal of Burnley College. The chosen consultant team will work alongside the town board to develop a strategy for interventions in Burnley.
The Long-Term Plan should “clearly identify the priorities of the town, set out the case for change, set outcomes, and objectives reflecting community priorities”, according to tender documents.
A key part of the initiative is community involvement. One of the main drivers behind the programme is to “put towns back into the hands of local people”, meaning residents should have a say in how plans are worked up.
The other North West towns selected under the initiative are: Darwen, Chadderton, Heywood, Ashton-under-Lyne, Accrington, Leigh, Farnworth, Nelson, and Kirkby.
