Pendle News Room

Work stopped for just 30 minutes today (Monday 12 December) as they saw how the transformation of Brierfield Mill’s historic offices into the new Lancashire Adult Learning Centre is progressing.

The new Centre will support a staggering 22,000 adult learners in Lancashire across 120 community venues.

Amanda Melton, who is Principal of both Lancashire Adult Learning and Nelson and Colne College, said: “Our goal is to help adults across the county develop new skills and improve their lives.

“The move to Northlight in 2017 will reinforce our position as a beacon of education across Lancashire. We are thrilled to be part of it.”

Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Enterprise Partnership have provided a total of £1.4m to support the relocation of Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL) from its current base in Chorley to Northlight in Brierfield.

Lancashire Adult Learning will move to the multi-million pound development following a new partnership with Nelson and Colne College earlier this year.

Amanda added: “A new base in a state-of-the-art development will give us all the support and resources we need to take learning where it’s most needed.

“It will help us reach further into the heart of more and more communities.”

Councillor Iqbal is Chair of Pendle Enterprise And Regeneration (PEARL), the joint venture company of Pendle Council and Barnfield Investment Properties which owns Northlight.

He said: “It’s been full speed ahead since October. Every day is a big step for this project.

“I’m very impressed with the progress that has been made and you can really see it beginning to take shape.

“You can really visualise people learning and working here.”

Northlight is an ambitious £32m project to create a new learning, living, working, leisure and cultural destination at Brierfield Mill.

The huge complex will also include superb sports facilities for Burnley FC in the Community which will open in September 2017.
Tim Webber, Managing Director of Barnfield and a PEARL board member said: “We’re working at a very fast pace but we were keen to stop work for a few minutes and show Councillor Iqbal and Amanda Melton what’s been happening behind the scenes over the last three months.

“It’s all on schedule for the Lancashire Adult Learning Centre to open in August 2017 – less than nine months away.”

David Graham, Site Manager at Northlight for Barnfield, which is carrying out the work, added: “Anyone who’s visited or worked in the old offices will be pleased that whilst we are creating a new modern and accessible Centre, we are keeping some elegant period features.

“These include the curved oak staircase and the main feature window with its stunning view over the Northlight weaving shed windows to the historic clock tower.”