Northlight is a pioneering £32million conversion and development of the Grade ll listed Brierfield Mill. The 380,000 sq. ft. complex is home to 80 quality apartments, Burnley FC in the Community’s Leisure Box, FUNDAland, Group First HQ, Store First Self Storage, In-Situ Garage for arts and culture and Lancashire Adult Learning’s HQ.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 We're here at North Light Mill in Brierfield for the culmination of a 14 year £30 million
00:06 investment to transform this former mill into a thriving cultural hub which has everything
00:12 under one roof. Join us as we take a look around this huge complex. It's incredible to be here for
00:18 the completion of North Light. This has been a project that has dominated my time in Parliament
00:24 the past 14 years. I think there's been seven leaders of Pendle Council, three different chief
00:29 execs. This has been a real team effort of people working together to try and get the investment in
00:36 to this site and we've seen a £32 million regeneration turning this site from the
00:40 largest redundant mill complex in Lancashire now to this stunning beacon for the local area.
00:46 There's an incredible amount of different activities taking place at North Light from
00:50 artist studios to the business centre to luxury flats then to the the Thunderland where we are
00:56 now which has climbing walls, indoor play centres and a gym. There is an incredible amount going on
01:01 here, there is something for everyone and with Lancashire Adult Learning we're also ensuring that
01:06 the local community are heavily involved being able to do whether it be ESOL classes or various
01:10 other learning opportunities right here in Brierfield. So 14 years ago people said that we
01:15 couldn't do this, it was impossible, this mill was too big, 350,000 square foot set over eight
01:21 acres. People said there was no way we could regenerate this and they also said things like
01:25 luxury flats wouldn't work outside of Manchester or Liverpool and yet here in Brierfield we have
01:31 proven that something like this is possible in East Lancashire and if it's possible here it's
01:35 possible anywhere so I think this can be you know a landmark that showcases what can be done in terms
01:41 of regeneration not just here but around the UK. This has been an incredible partnership between
01:47 Barnfield Construction involved with Pearl working with the council as a joint venture but then
01:54 bringing in a whole range of other stakeholders. I've brought various ministers over the years
01:58 to initially secure the one and a half million pound to bring the mill into public ownership
02:02 but then Homes England have been participating in this, the Arts Council have helped fund the
02:07 artist studios, Burnley FC and the community helped originally create this leisure box which
02:12 has now become Thunderland. So a whole range of partners over the years, private sector,
02:16 public sector, working in partnership to deliver something truly transformational.
02:20 We've had Theresa May visit the site but we've also had I think five other cabinet ministers
02:25 over the years come here to look at the opportunities to look at what could be done
02:29 and I would really love to bring some more back now to see the finished product because I think
02:33 this is truly impressive, truly transformational and this is finally that vision for over a decade
02:40 that everyone's been working so hard on it's finally been realised.