Plans for Burnley retail and leisure complex submitted

New plans have been submitted for a new leisure and retail complex in Burnley town centre, complete with a multi-screen cinema.

The £21m Pioneer Place scheme has been devised by Maple Grove Developments, part of the Eric Wright Group, in conjunction with Burnley Council and working with AEW-Architects and Smith Love planning consultant.

The new development is planned for the former Pioneer Co-op site on Curzon Street in the town centre. Plans had previously been submitted in late 2019, but the new application includes plans for a seven-screen cinema and 12,750 sq ft of leisure and retail floorspace across five units, centred around a new public realm.

It is hoped that Pioneer Place will provide a new day and night-time leisure destination with a quality food and beverage offer, boosting the university town's national appeal.

Nik Puttnam, senior development manager at Maple Grove Developments, said: "Over the past year, working in partnership with Burnley Council, we have reviewed the development mix to ensure the scheme kickstarts the regeneration of the town centre post-Covid and to secure public monies to support delivery of the scheme from Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

"It has been a challenging 12 months for the project, but working in partnership with Burnley Council, it is really exciting that we now have a fundable and deliverable scheme and, subject to securing planning consent in the early Spring, we hope to start works on site in late Summer 2021, with the development scheduled to open in Spring 2023."

Council leader Councillor Mark Townsend added: "This is another step forward in helping to secure Burnley’s future as a thriving centre with an attractive shopping offer during the day, and a vibrant night-time economy. It’s about planning for a better future and part of wider work to prepare the way for business recovery post Covid-19."

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