Rossendale Borough Council has given the go-ahead to the £20 million Rawtenstall masterplan which includes work to the market.

The work will include Bus Service Improvement works in Bacup Road and St Mary’s Way, Valley of Stone Greenway cycle routes, and Hall Carr estate. 

Lancashire County Council is set be to consulted both online and face-to-face on some of these plans over the next few weeks.

Projects to animate Rawtenstall town centre under the Masterplan have been drafted following public consultations and drop-in sessions which were attended by residents, retailers, market traders and other commercial and professional businesses.

The £20m Long Term Plan for Towns funding is focused on the core areas of Rawtenstall, Crawshawbooth and Waterfoot and will be spread over a 10-year period subject to the submission of an investment plan which will be formulated by the recently created Town Board.

Part of Bank Street which is a focal point Rawtenstall town centre

Leader of Rossendale Council, Cllr Alyson Barnes, said: “The aim is to regenerate towns over the next decade making them places where people and businesses want to invest, creating new jobs and breathing new life into our high streets and town centres.

“It is envisaged that some of the Long Term Plan for Towns funding could support some of the projects identified in the Masterplan, which have been developed following lots of meaningful discussions with the local community.”

Overall authority for decision-making on the investment plan will be Rossendale Council’s Cabinet.

The Rawtenstall Town Board is made up of key representatives and includes Iain Taylor (Chairman), David Smurthwaite (Rossendale Borough Council’s director of economic development), Councillor Alyson Barnes (Leader of Rossendale BC), County Councillor Scott Smith (Lancashire County Council), Andrew McNae MP, Steffani Hull (Policy and Partnership Manager, Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner’s office), Milly Davey, Derick Allen, Shaun Morley, Dr Abdul Mannan GP, Lynn Smith, Andy Schofield, Peter Terry, Jan Shutt, Sam Sandford, David Gould, Sean Kierans and Stephen Anderson.