Accrington Town Centre has seen us develop proposals for the transformation of the market town. In turn, supporting the Council to secure £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund and kick start the regeneration of the area.

We were tasked by Hyndburn Borough Council to prepare proposals for, and help them secure funding for, the transformation of Accrington town centre.

Working closely with client Hyndburn Borough Council and the funding bid team, we developed proposals for the three projects which formed the basis of the LUF bid. These were Accrington Market Hall, Market Chambers and Burton’s Chambers.

Following a programme of client and stakeholder engagement, we developed high level proposals for external repairs and improvements and internal refurbishment works to the buildings to facilitate their change or adaptation of use and secured £20m from the Governments Levelling Up Fund.

Following on from this success, we were then tasked with developing and refining proposals for the three buildings to submit for planning and help identify and secure further funding. All 3 projects gained planning approval in early 2024.

Our proposals include redeveloping the Grade II listed Market Hall into a new retail, leisure, food and drink destination, attracting local people and celebrating independent traders.

External works include repair of the existing fabric, improvements to security and part removal of market stalls to create improved landscaping and external seating opportunities. Internally, our architectural and interior design teams have developed proposals for the aesthetic uplift of the market space – the proposed layout reduces produce market activity and accommodates a new food and beverage offer. Our design retains and celebrates the heritage features of the building, whilst proposing the introduction of modern industrial touches. The focus of the design, from materiality to lighting, is on ensuring the seamless transition from day to night as the building seeks to adapt from a daytime to an all-day facility.