CONSTRUCTION of a £5million science and technology park will begin in Burnley on Monday.

Vision Park will be built next to the college and University of Central Lancashire campus off Princess Way.

Initial infrastructure costs of £1.7m will be funded by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

The site has now been cleared and construction firm Barnfield will start work there next week.

New computer generated images images of how the park will look when complete have also been released.

Advanced manufacturers and digital-based companies and start-up companies are being sought for the five-acre site, part of which once housed the town’s former household waste centre.

Bob Tattrie, managing partner for Trebor Developments, which is leading the project, said: “We are delighted to see work start on site at Vision Park. Over the next six months we will see an undeveloped piece of land, excellently located, turned into an outstanding working environment.

“Phase one of the project will deliver a range of quality industrial and hybrid units suitable for start-up and established businesses.

“Phases two and three plots are being prepared to allow further development to meet occupiers’ specific requirements and we are actively seeking interest from occupiers.

“With the links next to UCLan, the site provides not only excellent building accommodation, but the ability for high levels of recruitment to be achieved.”

A small business owner who is excited by the news is Caroline Dakin, co-founder and director at Evolving Edge, a training company based in Burnley.

She said: “As a new business, one of our biggest challenges was finding affordable office space that also presented the right image for our brand and customers.

“Burnley’s new Vision Park looks set to provide a solution to this problem faced by many fellow start-ups and will be especially welcome in a town that was named the most enterprising place in Britain.”

“We are privileged to have a business in a location that recognises the need to nurture and support new and innovative businesses like ours.”