Council acquires Burnley mill to further university expansion

A vacant mill close to Burnley's Weavers’ Triangle has been acquired by the council as part of plans to expand UCLan's presence in the town.

The 35,000 sq ft Newtown Mill has been purchased by Burnley Council using funds from the government’s Levelling Up programme.

The scheme will be delivered through the council’s joint venture with Barnfield, and Day Architecture has been appointed to draw up plans for the building. A planning application will be submitted next month.

The acquisition follows the expansion of UCLan into the nearby Sandygate Mill last year, and progresses plans to create a canalside campus close to the centre of town.

The site will transformed into a teaching building with additional student social space and a business and public engagement area. 

Coun Asif Raja, the council’s executive member for economy and growth, 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.

“The acquisition of the former Newtown Mill is great news and takes us another step closer to bringing this exciting project to fruition utilizing an iconic building on a key gateway to the town.”

Professor Graham Baldwin, vice-chancellor of UCLan, said: "This is another pivotal and exciting development in our ongoing plans to raise young people’s aspirations in the area, respond to local employers’ skills needs and support the regeneration of Burnley.

"Together with Sandygate Halls, our first student halls of residence, Burnley is rapidly establishing itself as an attractive canal side campus.  It will mark another key milestone in the drive to transform Burnley into a university town and part of UCLan’s ambitious plans to increase student numbers to 4,000."