Hyndburn has been successful in its £20,000,000.00 Levelling Up Fund bid. The investment comes from the Government as part of the Levelling Up agenda. It will come with £1.5million in matched funding from both Hyndburn Council and Lancashire Council. To mark the occasion, the Prime Minister and Chancellor visited Accrington to make the announcement.
The investment will be used to further re-develop Accrington Town Centre, through Hyndburn Council's Town Centre Investment Plan. Specifically, the three projects listed in Hyndburn’s Levelling Up Fund Bid are: Accrington Market Hall, Market Chambers and Burton’s Chambers.
Accrington Market Hall will be refurbished and transformed into a food and drink destination for local people and to entice visitors from across the county.
The Market Chambers building, opposite the Market Hall, will be acquired, refurbished, and repaired. With a future view to transform it into a cultural, arts and heritage venue.
Burton's Chambers building, opposite the Town Hall, will be acquired and restored to become a co-working space for businesses and events to utilise.
Sara has raised the Levelling Up Fund bid in Parliament with Government ministers both in public and in private, extolling the virtues of the bid, its necessity, and how it can be transformative for Hyndburn & Haslingden.
In addition, Lancashire County Council has been successful in its £50,000,000.00 Levelling Up Fund bid - 'Levelling Up East Lancashire ' - from which Hyndburn will receive £15million
The bid concerns the East Lancashire areas of Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale and focuses on:
- Liveable Neighbourhoods – making residential areas safer for walking and cycling, and making neighbourhoods more attractive by connecting places through greener walking and cycling routes.
- Public Transport Service Improvements – upgrading public transport facilities, and reducing journey times to work, training and education.
- Active Travel – improving walking and cycling facilities, connecting residential areas with places of employment, shops and leisure facilities – all helping to improve the health and well-being of local people.
Taken together, these investments represent a historic investment in Hyndburn & Haslingden, which will not only improve our town centre in Accrington but also communities, public transport and employment opportunities for everyone.
Following the announcement and the Prime Minister's visit, Sara Britcliffe said:
The Prime Minister announcing this investment from Accrington demonstrates just how seriously this Government takes its commitment to invest in northern communities and make areas like ours prosper.
Our £23million investment, made possible through the Government’s levelling up agenda, will help transform Accrington Town Centre and make it a place people want to visit.
I have raised this Levelling Up fund bid constantly in Parliament & worked closely with Hyndburn Council to ensure it is delivered. Today just goes to show what strong local leadership, championing our local area down in Westminster, can achieve.
