Hope for Haslingden National Lottery funding

A NEW website is being launched to back Haslingden’s bid for National Lottery funding to regenerate the town.

Rossendale Borough Council has already been successful in securing £112k from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, match funded by £15k from the council to develop the initial bid.

The website details the £2.5 million plans for the town – including the creation of a landscaped pocket park Cockerill Square, behind shops on Higher Deardengate linking to the town’s market.

The top of Deardengate would be pedestrianised creating an event space and a second Big Lamp would be introduced at the bottom of Lower Deardengate to mirror the top of the town.

Other plans include feature paving to mark key town centre junctions, tree planting and raised flower planters.

Funding will also be available to support business owners and landlords to refurbish and repurpose their buildings

Leader of the Council, Councillor Alyson Barnes, who is also Chair of the Haslingden Town Centre Strategic Partnership Board, said:

The plans that have been proposed for Haslingden town centre offer real potential to support not just the existing shops and businesses and also to attract new investment into the town.

If we are successful in securing a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, I believe it will lead to Haslingden town centre becoming much more attractive for residents and also a popular location for visitors to Rossendale.

I would encourage local residents to look closely at the plans that are proposed, get involved with the consultation exercises and provide feedback.”

Project Manager Alex Hyde said:

Covid-19 unfortunately led to our planned public consultation exercise having to be delayed, but now we are looking forward to inviting feedback from August to October.

The website is one way for residents to see first-hand what is proposed for their town.”

Letters will be going to every household in the wards of Greenfield, Worsley and Helmshore explaining the bid and inviting feedback.

Restrictions willing, the council will arrange two public consultations, and feedback will also be invited via an online questionnaire that will be introduced to the website.

The Haslingden 2040 Vision bid will be submitted in February with a decision expected early summer.

To view the proposals visit www.haslingden2040.co.uk

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund