Page Under Review
The Canalside Conservation Area was first designated in October 1988. It was extended in August 1990 and again in March 1993. A further extension in February 1997, to enclose the whole of the area known today as the Weavers’ Triangle and to include lengths of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal that largely encircle the town centre, defines the current boundary. The Canalside Conservation Area has an overall length of 5.1 kilometres and covers an area of some 34 hectares. It includes a fine collection of well-preserved canalside architecture and engineering features, and is widely recognised as being one of the most important historic industrial areas in England.
The core part of the Conservation Area, the Weavers’ Triangle, played a key role in Burnley’s success from the late-eighteenth through to the mid-twentieth centuries as a major manufacturing centre for the cotton industry. Despite the decline of the cotton industry in Burnley in the second half of the twentieth century, and accompanying neglect, dilapidation and a number of losses in the built environment, the area remains remarkably intact and retains important physical reminders of the town’s manufacturing heyday.
This Conservation Area Appraisal has been drafted in the context of current regeneration initiatives for the Weavers’ Triangle. Part of the Conservation Area is the subject of a Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is also the subject of a major urban regeneration scheme aimed at realising the area’s potential as a unique and vibrant historic quarter, an initiative that is supported amongst others by the Council and English Heritage. The Weaver’s Triangle regeneration scheme forms a critical element of Burnley’s wider Regional Growth Fund programme. This appraisal and accompanying Management Plan will inform proposals in the Weavers Triangle and the wider Canalside area.
Canalside Conservation Area Appraisal
A draft Conservation Area Appraisal for the Canalside Conservation Area was prepared by the Building Design Partnership (BDP) in August 2004 but was not adopted by the Council.
This assessment of the character and appearance of the Conservation Area is based on a thorough survey of the area in summer 2009, and a more limited survey focusing on areas of change in Autumn 2012. It relates to the extent of the Conservation Area as last reviewed in February 1997.
This Conservation Area Appraisal has been prepared in accordance with the guidance as set out by the English Heritage paper Understanding Place: Conservation Area Designation, Appraisal and Management Plans, published in 2011. It incorporates previous comments of English Heritage, the Weavers’ Triangle Trust and Burnley Civic Society.
This document has been prepared as a draft for consultation. It will be subject to further consultation with local amenity societies, residents and other stakeholders prior to approval by Burnley Borough Council, with the view to its adoption by the Council as a Supplementary Planning Document
Canalside Conservation Area Management Pla
This Canalside Conservation Area Management Plan has been prepared for the Canalside Conservation Area in Burnley by Burnley Borough Council in accordance with the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, which requires Local Planning Authorities to publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of each of their designated Conservation Areas.
This Management Plan has been drafted in the context of current regeneration initiatives for the Weavers’ Triangle. Part of the Conservation Area has received a grant from the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is also the subject of a major urban regeneration initiative aimed at realising the area’s potential as a unique and vibrant historic quarter, an initiative that has included additional grant funding from English Heritage and the North West Development Agency, the development of which is subject to a major public/ private partnership between the Council and Barnfield Construction.
This is a draft document produced for consultation purposes and will be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). It is intended that the Canalside Conservation Area Management Plan will form part of a suite of SPDs that will be adopted in due course.
The Management Plan should be read in conjunction with the draft Canalside Conservation Area Appraisal produced in November 2012. The Canalside Conservation Area Appraisal provides a historical assessment of the development of the Conservation Area and appraises the historical and architectural assets of the area to provide a benchmark for assessing and managing change.
After adoption, the effectiveness of this Management Plan will be assessed as part of the Council’s Annual Monitoring Report. If the Annual Monitoring Report identifies significant changes in the Conservation Area it will trigger a review of the Management Plan.
