Rossendale regeneration plans pass £50m funding milestone

By Tim Aldred

27 Jun 2024

Bacup Market

Rossendale Borough Council has now secured more than £50m in external funding to revitalise its economy.

The council hopes to position the valley as a bridge to Lancashire from Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.

Regeneration plans now underway include an £8.5m redevelopment of Bacup Market and the £500,000 refurbishment of Haslingden market. 

Meanwhile, a new masterplan for Rawtenstall has identified a pipeline of projects to support its regeneration, including investment in Rawtenstall market, new public realm improvements and changes to the gyratory system in St Mary’s Way.

Already the Spinning Point scheme in 2016 helped to energise Rawtenstall town centre and reinvigorate its market into a destination venue for food, drink and events.

While the £50m milestone has passed already, another £20m has been secured as part of Central Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns initiative.

The endowment-style funding over 10 years is to be spent on projects in Rawtenstall, Crawshawbooth and Waterfoot under three themes of infrastructure, town centres and safety and gives the Valley further opportunities for change.

Establishing thriving town centres in the Valley is a council priority and the creation of 2040 Visions boards for Bacup and Haslingden has helped steer the regeneration programmes. 

At the same time other initiatives receiving hundreds of thousand pounds worth of funding such as Rossendale Works and Rossendale Employability and Skills Forum has secured employment for local people – sometimes for the benefit of disadvantaged residents.

Programmes costing more than a million pounds each have seen the completion of the Bacup Townscape Heritage Initiative and the Bacup High Streets Heritage Action Zone completed, while National Lottery Heritage funding has been secured for the Big Lamp Project in Higher Deardengate, Haslingden.

Inward investment has attracted growth businesses, bringing quality employment to the borough. For example, a £1.5m Growth Deal funded scheme to improve the junction and prevent flooding at Futures Park helped the development of the site for Orthoplastics and Bright Futures Nursery.

A drive to attract visitors to the Valley has included the £2m National Lottery Fund financed extension at the Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, securing £630,000 of Sport England funding to support upgrading The Hill at Ski Rossendale, and development of the Trail Head Centre at the Lee Quarry Mountain Bike facility at Futures Park.

Smaller regeneration initiatives have seen the council source funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Local Economic Recovery Growth Fund, the National Lottery Fund and Historic England schemes. 

Enjoyed this? Read more from Tim Aldred

Latest news

1

Three weekly domestic waste collection considered in plans Waste recycling Blackpool

Three weekly domestic waste collection considered in plans

01 Jul 2025

2

Graham Engineering confirms sale to a2e Industries Graham Engineering

Graham Engineering confirms sale to a2e Industries

01 Jul 2025

3

Training 2000 celebrates 'Good' rating by Ofsted Training 2000

Training 2000 celebrates 'Good' rating by Ofsted

01 Jul 2025

4

Fox Group acquires J Fisher and Sons Colin Fisher, Paul Fox CEO and Gary Fisher.

Fox Group acquires J Fisher and Sons

01 Jul 2025

5

Beever and Struthers strengthen leadership team with new partners Dean Curtis and Joe Diston

Beever and Struthers strengthen leadership team with new partners

01 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV123 July/August Launch Event
Lancashire Business View magazine launch
Networking
16 Jul 2025

LBV123 July/August Launch Event

Burnley

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – July
Chamber Logo1.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
02 Jul 2025 - 02 Jul 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – July

St John's Hospice, Slyne Road, Lancaster, LA2 6ST

08:00 - 10:00

The Marketing Metrics that Matter – July 4
LBV Hub Seminars
04 Jul 2025 - 04 Jul 2025

The Marketing Metrics that Matter – July 4

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

08:30 - 11:00

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase
unnamed (2).jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Jul 2025 - 09 Jul 2025

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase

Crow Wood Hotel, Burnley, BB12 0RT

09:30 - 16:00

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast
talentreimaginedbb.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast

Strawberry Fields Digital Hub, Chorley, PR71PS

08:00 - 10:30

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers
Champagne-Jewellery 10 07 25_page-0001.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers

Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, BB1 5AA

18:00 - 20:30

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past
1750160034867.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Jul 2025 - 16 Jul 2025

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:30

Chamber Summer BBQ
LBV Hub Social
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

Chamber Summer BBQ

The Borough, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

17:30 - 20:00

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin