BURNLEY’S flagship Weavers’ Triangle regeneration scheme is being scaled down so council bosses can get it back on track.

The huge planned redevelopment, which was mothballed in 2008 after the recession hit, will now be broken up into smaller clusters in a bid to lure cautious developers.

Burnley Council chiefs hope to launch the new plans at an event in June, where they will invite firms to tender to redevelop the historic site, once the centre of the town’s industrial heritage.

Regeneration bosses, led by council chief executive Steve Rumbelow, have earmarked part of the area around Sandygate to kickstart the process.

Although they have yet to finalise the patch to be marketed, it will include historic buildings but not the mill which was due to include the Weave fashion tower put forward by the late Tony Wilson.Mr Rumbelow said: “Originally the Weavers’ Triangle scheme was a £200million plan but we want to get some momentum, so we are planning some smaller developments in the area around Sandygate.

“Before the recession, developers wanted something that had scale but the market is different now so we are cutting our cloth according to the current environment.

“The area around Sandygate may be smaller but we are seeing it as a good development opportunity to get things moving and get some momentum.”

Mr Rumbelow said developers would be asked to tender for the site in June in the hope they will transform the former mills into retail units, offices and flats.

Other areas, including the area which could be turned into the Weave tower, could then be developed in later phases, he said.

The new approach, which contrasts with bosses’ attempts to market the entire Weavers’ Triangle site, was backed by two leading councillors.

Martin Smith, Lib Dem executive member for regeneration, said: “We feel that there’s more chance of getting things moving by taking this approach.”

Conservative group leader Peter Doyle said: “This makes sense to me because to find one developer to take on the whole site would be difficult.

“Let’s try this and see if it is successful.”

However, Labour councillor Tony Lambert said: “I would be in favour of developing the whole area, rather than take this piecemeal approach.”