Nelson town plan makes Pendle Rise shopping centre revamp top priority
- Published
The shopping centre had become inward-looking and outdated, the report said
Updating an "outdated" shopping centre and improving cycling and walking routes are the top priorities for Nelson in the coming years, the local council has been told.
A draft masterplan created for Pendle Borough Council said the state of Pendle Rise was hindering the town's development.
It also said the town centre needed a better mix of housing and shops.
The council committee covering the area will now consider the plan.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the draft plan was prepared to assist with short-term funding opportunities, such as the government's Town Deal Fund, and longer-term planning and development.
The proposals highlight the key issues facing the town and will help shape its development for the next 30 years.
The report said the shopping centre, which was built in the 1960s, was inward-looking and outdated, and had been hit by changes in shopping habits in recent years, which had left it with many empty units.
It said new and different uses must be found for the complex and other town centre buildings.
Councillors will consider the town's draft masterplan
The masterplan also set out a series of recommendations, suggesting the town centre would benefit from new housing and apartments, a better balance of independent and national chain shops and more hospitality businesses that open after 17:00.
It said improved cycle routes, walkways and greenery were needed, along with enhanced digital technology education, training and workspaces, such as a new town centre skills hub and an upgrade to Nelson & Colne College at Barrowford.
New rail links to Skipton offering extra connections between Lancashire and Yorkshire could also improve the town in the future, it added.
The report, which was created by independent consultants for the council, will be considered at the next meeting of the council's Nelson, Brierfield and Reedley Committee.
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