The £20 million regeneration project to update Accrington town centre has begun.

Enabling works for the Accrington town square projects, which includes restoration of the Market Hall, Burtons Chambers and Market Chambers, have started following a ground-breaking event.

Hyndburn Council’s regeneration plans include the transformation of the existing Market Hall into a vibrant food and drink destination, the conversion of Burton Chambers into a modern co-working space, and the Market Chambers repairing and refurbishment, enabling future transformation into a cultural and heritage venue.

Lancashire Telegraph: The development team at Artisan Bakers in Accrington The development team at Artisan Bakers in Accrington (Image: Morgan Sindall)

The breaking of ground event brought together construction teams from Morgan Sindall, Hyndburn Council, AEW Architects and Hive Projects, who are all involved in the major scheme.

To enable the transformation, the Accrington market traders have now moved out of the building and into new homes.

Many have taken up residence in Market on the Square – a temporary cabin set up on Accrington Town Square - and have reported increased turnover since the move.

 An official community launch event for the Market on the Square will be held later this month. 

Funding for the project was secured through a successful bid for £20m from the Levelling Up Fund earlier this year, with additional matching contributions from Lancashire County Council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Cllr Mohammed Younis, portfolio holder for Levelling Up at Hyndburn Council, said: “I am delighted to witness the official ground breaking, which marks the start of work on these important projects.

“We invite all community members to join us in celebrating this exciting occasion and look forward to the positive impact these projects will have on the growth and prosperity of Accrington.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Paul Gaines, planning manager, Morgan Sindall; Alison Pernavas, marketing manager, Morgan Sindall; Cllr Mohammed Younis; Mark Harrison, senior projects manager, Morgan Sindall; Sarah Jones, framework manager, Morgan Sindall breaking ground in Accrington Paul Gaines, planning manager, Morgan Sindall; Alison Pernavas, marketing manager, Morgan Sindall; Cllr Mohammed Younis; Mark Harrison, senior projects manager, Morgan Sindall; Sarah Jones, framework manager, Morgan Sindall breaking ground in Accrington (Image: Morgan Sindall)

Rachel Tyrer from Artisan Bakery, which trades at Accrington market, said: “The outside stalls are amazing.

“We’re much more visible out here and we can trade six days a week, business has increased threefold.

“Now that we’re out in the open and all together, there’s real hustle and bustle about it and a community feel. I’m feeling positive and excited about the plans for Accrington town square.”

As part of its intelligent solutions approach to supporting its customers to decarbonise, Morgan Sindall will seek to retain and reuse original building materials wherever possible, whilst creating modern new facilities which reduce operational carbon through the lifecycle of the scheme.

The project is being accelerated through SCAPE Construction, a direct award framework designed to drive collaboration, efficiency, time and cost savings on construction projects.

Throughout delivery, Morgan Sindall will also maximise the usage of local supply chain partners and labour to deliver the works in line with its commitment to generating social value on its projects.

The contractor has arranged a ‘getting connected’ event on March 8 to engage local workers and SMEs to discuss upcoming opportunities on the project.  

Simon Arnott, managing director for Morgan Sindall in the North, said: “Regeneration schemes such as Accrington town square are breathing new life into historic towns and neighbourhoods across the UK.

“As a contractor committed to sustainability and enhancing communities, we’re glad to get out on site, as well as continuing to develop our relationships with Hyndburn Council and its constituents to deliver high-quality facilities fit to serve its community for years to come.”

Mark Robinson, group chief executive from SCAPE, said: “Morgan Sindall has a fantastic track record of delivering high-quality, transformative projects through SCAPE which create local jobs, opportunities, and social value in the community.

“We are proud to be supporting Hyndburn Council with these strategic upgrades, which form a key part of Accrington’s regeneration story.”

Accrington town square’s transformational projects have been made possible through the government’s Levelling Up Fund.