Burnley buys Newtown Mill for UCLan expansion

Day Architectural is drawing up plans for around 35,000 sq ft of teaching space and an enterprise zone. A planning application for the project is expected in April.

Burnley Council said that it had purchased Newtown Mill off-market for an undisclosed amount.

Enabling the £18.5m expansion of the University of Central Lancashire was part of Burnley Council’s successful Levelling Up Fund bid. It is being delivered through a joint venture between the council and Barnfield Developments.

“We’re really excited to be working on this scheme, which will be a great addition to the work that we have already completed, in partnership with the council, in the Sandygate area,” said Barnfield chairman Tim Webber.

Cllr Asif Raja, Burnley Council executive member for economy and growth, praised news of the land acquisition, saying that it takes the council “another step closer to bringing this exciting project to fruition utilising an iconic building on a key gateway to town.”

Raja also said: “UCLan is an emerging institution within the town, and through this unique opportunity provided by the Levelling Up Fund it can take its campus presence to the next stage, raising the aspirations of the borough’s young people and firmly establishing Burnley as a university town.”

Day Architectural is designing the new building. Credit: via Burnley Council

UCLan vice-chancellor Graham Baldwin echoed Raja’s words. “Burnley is rapidly establishing itself as an attractive canal-side campus,” he said, adding that the expansion will help the university in its plans to increase student numbers to 4,000.

“We continue to grow our course portfolio to meet the existing and emerging skills’ needs of Burnley and East Lancashire, developing the next generation of key workers in areas such as medicine, health, nursing, policing and social work,” Baldwin said.

“In addition, Newtown Mill aims to build on our employer engagement strategy so local companies benefit from degree apprenticeship courses in areas such as digital, cyber, engineering and management as well as access research expertise and business support programmes to improve business competitiveness and innovation.”

The Newtown Mill project includes more than just the acquisition of the mill and its redevelopment. The scheme features public realm works, canal towpath improvements, and remediation of a nearly 1.5-acre brownfield site. That brownfield site will be used for future phases of UCLan’s expansion.

The project team for Newtown Mill includes Ridge, Daniel Connolly Planning, and TPM Landscape.

Burnley’s £19.9m Levelling Up Fund award will go towards more than just Newtown Mill, which is only allocated £11m from the fund. The money will also be used to make environmental improvements in the area between Turf Moor and the town centre and to upgrade the Manchester Road railway station.