Padiham public realm spend approved

A £2m package to improve public realm in the Lancashire town, linking with the development of the former Baxi site, has been confirmed.

Lancashire County Council, as the highway authority, will manage the design, delivery and payment for the works along Burnley Road, which are being funded by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership following a successful application by Burnley Council.

The works primarily focus on the stretch running between the St Leonards roundabout to the Tesco roundabout on Burnley Road.

This includes public art, footpath widening, and landscaping, which the council said would “aim to bring back traditional life and vitality to the historic core and renew the appreciation of the town’s rich heritage”.

It is also intended to tie in with the proposed works to the Baxi site, and works are expected to start in January 2019 with a completion date of March 2020.

Heating equipment manufacturer Baxi departed the site 10 years ago and it has remained unused since, becoming prone to flooding.

A package to overhaul the site, which could deliver a vital 240 homes in the area, has been agreed, which will allow Homes England to progress its search for a development partner. The regeneration body purchased the majority of the site last year and is in the process of demolition.

The LEP is also providing funding for flood defences that will protect the Baxi site, along with 92 existing homes and 77 businesses.