A METALWORK company is breathing new life, and bringing 16 new jobs, to a disused building in Burnley.

Sparta Ltd – a specialist in laser and water jet cutting, metal fabrication, casting and marine products – is in the process of moving into the former home of wrought ironwork firm Brian Rourke and Co, in Accrington Road.

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Sparta is move from its base in Victoria Works, Rawtenstall, after outgrowing its unit in Hill End Lane and the new Burnley centre base will allow the firm to further expand.

The Accrington Road property has been empty since Rourke’s was hit by the tough economic climate, forcing the 50-year-old company to go into administration and make 37 staff redundant in August 2012.

Stephen Davenport, managing director of Sparta, said his company has created 12 new manufacturing jobs during the process of moving and has the capacity for another four positions.

Mr Davenport, who has run the firm for 25 years, said: “The business is going well.

“We’ve got several good key accounts and everybody seems to be very supportive of what we’re doing. We’ve seen constant growth while I’ve been at the company. It’s purely down to our relationships with our customers.

“We give them what they want.

“Through dealing with us, they cut out high manufacturing costs.

“We secured the building in March, buying it because we need bigger premises.

“It’s a big job.

“We’ve been refurbishing the property since we bought it and should be fully transferred over to the new site by the end of November.”

Rourke’s manufactured luxury gates for celebrities, Disneyworld, Hollywood and Liverpool FC before it closed down.

Rourke’s was founded in 1961 in a hen hut in Brian’s sister’s farm in Deerplay Moor near Bacup.

It moved to a forge in Blakey Street before settling in Accrington Road in 1996. At the time, Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said he was “really sad” to learn of the company’s demise.