AN AMBITIOUS range of ideas to transform Burnley have been unveiled.

The proposals include re-developing Charter Walk, the market, creating new public squares and building business parks and new town centre apartments.

One of the most eye-catching ideas is to turn Standish Street into a quality independent shopping destination based on Glasgow's Buchanan Street.

Consultants revealed their vision after being asked two years ago to come up with a 15-year 'masterplan' to turn Burnley into the "envy of East Lancashire".

Council bosses describe the ideas as "aspirational" but said they were confident they could "easily" deliver some of the plans although others would need commitment from the private sector.

Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle said the exciting plans were "everything Burnley could want".

But the town's Chamber of Trade said it was disappointed, claiming its members had not been consulted.

Building Design Partnership, an international practice of architects, designers and engineers with offices in Manchester and Liverpool, was given a challenging brief by the council.

This was "to produce a set of high quality, ambitious proposals for our town centre that will enable Burnley to reverse its recent decline, develop into a thriving sub regional centre and put it on the route to a secure future."

BDP based its masterplan around a number of aims: improving retail and business growth, strengthening education, promoting culture and town centre living, making the town more accessible and boosting local distinctiveness.

BDP's suggestions include: Turning the Burnley College site in Ormerod Road into apartments Transforming a stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool canal into a waterside leisure destination.

Improving both of the town's train stations and the road system as well as building two new multi-storey car parks.

Creating an enterprise park on the site of the former Michelin site Building a new office complex on the site of the former Thompson centre and housing in Croft Street and Yorkshire Street Coun Birtwistle said: "These are very exciting plans for Burnley which include not just retail schemes but leisure and culture too. It is eveything a town like Burnley could want."

But Paula Riley, president of the Burnley and District Chamber of Trade, said: "I am very disappointed with the outcome of the plan considering it took so much money and time.

"They have not worked with the people of Burnley or the chamber of trade.

"So we have mixed feelings about this plan. Will it not take trade away from the town centre, which is abysmal anyway?

"We also need to look at the traffic situation, which will not improve under the plans and this will make it worse for the traders.

"We need to encourage shoppers in before we can get big businesses in."

A spokesman for Burnley Council warned the masterplan was "aspirational".

He said: "It provides a guide for private investors and a framework for public sector interventions. However, it is not a statutory planning document "In terms of deliverability the master plan is long term and ambitious.

"Some schemes, for example public realm works, will be relatively easy to deliver in that they will usually be public sector lead, although they will require significant amounts of public sector investment."Other schemes will be entirely dependent on private sector investment from existing and new property owners. Therefore, the projects details and timescales, can only be seen as indicative."

BDP, which worked on the Cathedral Gardens project in Manchester, beat five other specialist developers to be given the task of breathing new life into the town.

The North West Develpment Agency, with extra support from Burnley Council, gave BDP the cash to come up with the proposals.

These are not the only ambitious regeneration plans for Burnley. Elevate, the regeneration agency, is spearheading proposals for a fashion tower in Burnley's Weavers' Triangle to house around 20 fashion and lifestyle shops, a cafe and restaurant and commercial workspaces for businesses to rent.