11:04am Tuesday 9th March 2010
By Jon Livesey
A PIAZZA with public art could be created as part of plans to breathe new life into an ‘eyesore corridor’ at a gateway to Burnley.
Council bosses are seeking permission to create the ‘public piazza’ at the junction of Princess Way and Canning Street.
Under the proposals, public art will be installed in the piazza as well as on the roundabout at Active Way and Royle Road.
Plans for the scheme have been submitted to Burnley Council’s planning officers.
If a bid for funding is successful and councillors rubber-stamp the plans, the work could begin in the near future.
The work will be undertaken close to the £80million UCLan-College Campus, which opened in September.
Gordon Birtwistle, Burnley Council leader, said: “The UCLan-College Campus has raised the bar for building design in Burnley.
“Modern, colourful and when set against the impressive viaduct, shows how easily our past can work with our future.
“However, the gateway on which it is located is ‘poor,’ ‘unattractive’ and ‘negative’ according to architects – it is another eyesore corridor.
"Burnley Council has bid for European money specifically to take action on Princess Way, make this gateway look better and link it to the town centre.”
Last year, plans to install ten sculptures at the junction of Accrington Road and Cog Lane, another gateway, were approved.
Martin Brown, director of UCLan’s Burnley campus, said the aim of the latest scheme was to ‘stop the rot and attract investment'.
He said: “If the council is successful in its bid for European money, it will be great news for the UCLan and College Campus.
“It will allow us to take the first step in the development of an education and enterprise corridor into the town.”
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