BURNLEY is to get a new logo as part of a £110,000 re-branding scheme to improve the town’s image.

The ‘visual expression’ consists of a computer-generated, three-dimensional image of lots of multi-coloured, tangled circles.

Council bosses have now spent £400 seeking to register the logo across five trademark classes, so it cannot be used by other towns.

It will be displayed at gateways to Burnley, on literature, and a website to make the image instantly identifiable with the town.

The design has split councillors’ opinions, with some describing it as ‘exciting’ and others comparing it to a ‘deformed insect’.

The new logo is part of the work being done by Burnley Vision Board after it secured £300,000 of funding from the North West Development Agency (NWDA).

Its programme of work includes a £110,000 scheme to re-brand the town.

Burnley Vision Board is made up of representatives of organ-isations including Burnley Coun-cil, Burnley Football Club, Burnley College and Aircelle.

It is believed that the different coloured circles are intended to represent the different aspects of the town.

The red is supposed to represent the urban part of Burnley, while the green symbolises the rural areas.

Coun Gordon Birtwistle, leader of Burnley Council, said he was a fan of the logo, saying it signifies the town’s ‘intertwining’ qual-ities.

He added that the town had beaten stiff competiton from others who had been interested in using the logo.

“The re-branding has gone really well,” he said.

“Burnley might have been a mess eight or nine years ago, but this shows we’re on the up.

“It’s bright and unusual and really exciting. I think it’s a brave choice, but I haven’t heard anyone with a bad word to say about it.

“We now have a Premier League football club and we want to be a Premier League town as well.”

Labour Coun Tony Lambert said: “I have no problem with the logo at all. I think it’s presentable and a good idea actually.”

But Conservative Coun Jonathan Gilbert said the money spent on the logo could have been used for ‘more important’ matters.

He said: “The logo is not the best I have seen. Animated it looks like some kind of deformed insect.

“Is it dynamic? I don’t think so.

“I don’t think it looks particularly professional, or business-like. That’s my reaction to looking at it.

“In terms of re-branding, it’s important to get the message across, but it is more important to tackle social and economic issues on the ground.”

YOUR VIEWS ON NEW IMAGE

Jerry Sanders, 63, of Ighten Hill, Burnley said: “It looks a little futuristic but very messy.

“We should have the Burnley coat of arms as our symbol not something that looks like a kid’s scribble. It would be better to have something we could be proud of.”

Sally Howard, 31, of Burnley, said: “It is a bit bizarre looking and I’m not really sure what it is trying to represent. It will make people think that Burnley is messed up which is not nice at all.”

Kevin Durkin, 38, of Deerstone Avenue, Burnley, said: “It’s definitely different but I wouldn’t have it as a town logo. The Burnley crest would be a lot better. The council would be better spending the money elsewhere.”

Caroline Mckavett, 17, of Barley said: “It is rubbish. It is just a load of squiggles which makes me think that Burnley is a place where there is chaos. It definitely does not represent the people of Burnley.”

Maxine Davis, 42, of Barley said: “As a design I quite like it but the images of disorder and chaos that it conjures up is not very nice. I am into graphics so I appreciate that a lot of work has gone into it but they could have done a lot better.”

David James, 62, of Brownhead Road, Burnley said: “It doesn’t mean an awful lot. It is just a load of scribbles and people will think Burnley is a mess. I hope they haven’t spent too much on it. They would be better using something which symbolises Burnley like the new college.”