Burnley’s Pioneer Place shortlisted for top award

Pioneer Place, the £23 million leisure complex in Burnley town centre, has been shortlisted in the Lancashire Property Awards 2024.

It has made the cut in the Commercial Development of the Year category, after judges were impressed with the tenacity of all partners involved to get this over the line, especially as the pandemic brought additional challenges to starting the project.

The project secured funding from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Getting Building Fund, Burnley borough and Lancashire county councils, and fashion company and the borough’s largest employer boohoo.

Identifying an exciting mix of uses the letting agent Brady Surveyors Ltd has delivered a fully tenanted facility, with REEL cinema, Loungers, Heavenly Desserts, Nando’s, Starbucks and Taco Bell all taking units.

Cllr Afrasiab Anwar, leader of Burnley Council, said: “Pioneer Place took years of hard work, from the original vision to project completion and the concerted efforts of everyone involved have paid off. I’d like to thank all our partners in this massive project for their support in making it a reality.

“This development has enhanced Burnley town centre and injected new energy into the evening economy and has brought additional visitors during the day. Developments like this encourage further investment into places and, in the case of Pioneer Place, aligns with our evolution as a university town.”

Nik Puttnam from Maple Grove Developments, who delivered the scheme alongside Burnley Council as their development partner with Eric Wright Construction as the contractor said: “Pioneer Place is a significant regeneration project which benefits the people of Burnley and the wider Lancashire area. We are delighted that we could bring to life the vision, and through working in partnership with a common goal, the impact across the community can be seen and enjoyed today. It’s a huge credit to the determination and commitment of everyone involved from across all our teams.”

The awards will take place in November and celebrate the work of developers, housebuilders, and their public sector partners, celebrating excellence across the region’s property community.