CREATING A STRONG BOND
Much has been said and written about Burnley Bondholders and its massive success in shouting loudly and proudly about the borough and its offering.
A true private-public partnership, it continues to make all the right noises, still on its mission to help Burnley to flourish, bringing together a network of influential people from across all sectors who aim to raise the borough’s profile.
The success of Bondholders and its work continues to gain attention across the UK from the media, local authorities and business leaders. Other areas have tried to copy it, without success.
Mark Crabtree stood down as first chairman of the group in 2020 after eight highly successful years in the role. Under his guidance, Burnley was named the Most Enterprising Area in 2013, the second most successful town for digital jobs growth in 2016 and a Top 16 UK Tech Town in 2018.
He says its creation came out of a series of major job losses and large- scale companies pulling out of the borough. “There was a lot of talk around, ‘We need to do something’.
“That’s when the then council chief exec turned up in my office with a couple of other people from the council. Once I’d met them, I thought, ‘These are people who want to get things done’.
“I knew what this place could be. I knew what it had been, and I knew what it could be. It kind of runs through my veins, really.”
Kate Ingram, the council’s director of economy and development, says the importance of the Bondholders cannot be underestimated. She says: “The fact that we have this great network of businesses that are all going in the same direction, that is in itself an opportunity and it’s not one that every place has.
“With local government reorganisation and the combined authority, the fact we have Bondholders and that Burnley is big enough to matter is really important. The voices of Burnley businesses will become even more important.”
Joanne Hindley, sales director at Lancashire Business View, was an early Bondholder member. She says: “The collaboration between the council, the Bondholders and businesses is the thing that differentiates what Burnley is doing compared to any of the other local authorities.
“You can see how Bondholders has grown and its momentum and the fact that it is so envied by other districts.”
She also believes Burnley is creating a picture to help employers recruit and retain, adding: “There’s a whole story at the back of it, and it’s illustrated really well and it’s shouted about, and the message is perpetuated. It’s all about amplifying the messages.”
Lukman Patel, the council’s chief executive, says: “We recognise that we can’t do everything on our own, we can only do it in collaboration and partnership.”
He points to the Bondholders continued development, including the new U30 Burnley Bondholders, bringing together young business leaders and entrepreneurs, adding: “It’s not been done in any place that I know, and it’s about just getting ahead of the curve.”
Considering the question, ‘Why can’t other places do this?’ he said that Cambridge was one area of the country that had struggled. “They talk about Silicon Valley there and they can’t develop a Bondholder network.
“It’s really about the culture of the place and the people, because we’ve got 200-plus businesses or ambassadors for the town.
“I don’t call them a ‘business network’, they’re ambassadors for the town, and every person I talk to, when they come to events, they don’t hand me a business card, that comes second. The first thing is promoting the place, promoting Burnley as the destination to do business, to work, to live, to study.”
“It’s not about how much business they can generate from an event. It’s about the place first, and then business second. They’ve got their intentions right.”
burnley.co.uk |
business@burnley.gov.uk LANCASHIREBUSINES SV
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Spotlight
PROUD PAST, BOLD FUTURE By Kate Ingram,
Director of economy and development, Burnley Council
The last two years have seen the culmination of a lot of hard work in Burnley, with the completion of projects like the new University of Lancashire facility at Newtown Mill; a cornerstone of the ambitious Sandygate regeneration project.
This journey began ten years ago when Burnley Council made the bold decision to purchase a series of dilapidated heritage assets. We questioned our sanity at times, but we knew we could breathe life into them, creating modern spaces that honour their past and are ready for Burnley’s future. It was a challenging project, delivered as a joint venture with Barnfield Investment Properties, and is testament to the collaborative approach we take in Burnley.
Partnering for the greater good, no matter the challenge, is why the
Burnley.co.uk place brand and Burnley Bondholders scheme have thrived. One example is Burnley Council’s 2021 decision to buy Charter Walk Shopping Centre to ensure it remained a vibrant retail, leisure and community hub in the town centre – part of a wider masterplan.
It’s hard to believe that just ten years ago major housebuilders wouldn’t touch Burnley and our population was in decline. Now, thanks to public and private investment, our population rose by nine per cent in the 2021 census and we’re on track to deliver almost 4,000 new homes by 2032. Housebuilders are now trying to keep up with demand, with our growth as a university town playing a key role.
We were also delighted to see two major commercial parks spring up recently, both speculative builds. Monte Developments is nearly finished with five units at Frontier Park Burnley, up to 158,800 sq ft. A second letting has been agreed, another is in legals, and more good news is on the way. Advance Point by Barnfield will also deliver 22 units starting from 2,000 sq ft.
Burnley has always been open for business, but now we’re proud to be seen as a place where momentum continues and investment makes sense.
Kate Ingram is director of economy and development at Burnley Council. A chartered town planner with 30 years of local government experience, she leads on planning, economic development, housing and regeneration across the borough, and is a member of the council’s senior management team. During her time at Burnley Council she has helped deliver key projects including the Todmorden Curve rail link, Weavers’ Triangle, Pioneer Place, and the expansion of UCLan in Burnley. She also led the creation of the Burnley Brand and Bondholders and has a passion for heritage, placemaking and breathing new life into old buildings.
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