The Challenge:

Burnley has secured significant investment and made visible progress through programmes such as the Levelling Up Fund, Heritage Action Zone and UK Shared Prosperity Fund. However, persistent challenges remain around:

• Town centre viability and underused heritage assets;
• Safety, perceptions of crime and antisocial behaviour;
• Pedestrian connectivity and poor-quality gateways;
• Housing quality;
• Long-standing inequalities in skills, health and opportunity.

Following the pause and relaunch of LTPT as the PfN, the challenge was to retain momentum, avoid duplication, and strengthen, broaden and test the deliverability of earlier work.

How We Did It Differently 

Rather than starting again, Genecon treated LTPT as the foundation for Burnley PfN.

• We tested and updated the existing Vision, objectives and long-list of project ideas through structured workshops, asking: what still holds, what needs refining and what is missing under PfN?
• We worked across three sub-groups made up of representatives from the education, public, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sectors, and the private sector to identify cross-cutting issues and opportunities aligned with the PfN objectives.
• Engagement was practical and time-efficient, combining workshops, prioritisation exercises and collaboration with local organisations to support decision-making within tight timescales.
• We focused on deliverability and potential match funding sources, helping the Town Board understand where PfN funding could have the greatest catalytic impact alongside other funding sources.

This resulted in a refreshed, community-tested Regeneration Plan and 4-year Investment Plan that built on the work undertaken as part of LTPT, aligns with PfN guidance, and provides Burnley with a clear, credible platform for delivery over the next four years and beyond.