Haslingden is a historic mill town home to cobbled streets, an 18th Century listed merchant’s house and many 19th Century buildings. It holds possibly the oldest street market licence in England, with markets regularly held there since at least 1555.

The importance of this Lancashire town is recognised by its conservation area status.

It will breathe new life and footfall into Haslingden by engaging a wider range of people with heritage and nature, boosting the local economy.

David Renwick, Director for North of England, The Heritage Fund

From decline to regeneration

Due to a prolonged period of under-investment and post-industrial decline, the condition of the buildings in Haslingden’s town centre has been impacted greatly.

In an effort to revitalise this historic town centre, Rossendale Borough Council received £1,837,700 for their project, Big Lamp - Shining Light on Haslingden's Heritage. The funding will support a five year project which aims to regenerate the area and encourage community engagement with the town and its heritage.

The Heritage Fund’s Director for the North of England, David Renwick said: “Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why we are proud to support Rossendale Borough Council with the regeneration of Haslingden’s Deardengate area thanks to National Lottery players.

“A community-led project, it will breathe new life and footfall into Haslingden by engaging a wider range of people with heritage and nature, boosting the local economy.”

A bright future

The project plans to create a new town square which will be used for community events, such as food markets and festivals. It also plans to:

• introduce a cycling infrastructure
• widen pavements
• refurbish its ‘Big Lamp’ (a local landmark)
• improve the area for wildlife and the environment
• introduce a one-way traffic system
• create Sustainable Urban Drainage systems

The Big Lamp project hopes to see growth in visitors to Haslingden following the town’s regeneration. The increased footfall will also support the local economy, bolstering existing businesses and creating new opportunities.

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