Following a decision to proceed with procurement at the December 2022 cabinet and having successfully secured Levelling Up Funding to deliver three key projects, Hyndburn Borough Council have appointed Gretta Starks of RLB as Programme Director.

Gretta Starks, Head of Place and Communities and Project Management Partner North West Region at RLB, said:

 “One of the great privileges of working in construction is having the chance to deliver projects that will provide better opportunities for the communities they serve.  Hyndburn has built a strong foundation to deliver these projects, which are at the heart of Accrington and have the potential to act as a catalyst for transformation of not just the main town centre, but also the other townships across the borough.  RLB is delighted to be able to bring its experience of delivering projects that maximise impact for the communities they serve to these fantastic schemes.”

Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) is a global independent construction, property and management consultancy, providing services that maximise value in all areas of the built environment to deliver successful and sustainable outcomes for our clients.  The UK business is 100% employee owned, with a team of over 900 professionals working together to shape the future of the built environment. This in turn ensures independence of our advice and allows us the freedom to focus on the long-term investment in our people and our industry.

The three projects that have secured funding are:

Accrington Market Hall, which will be refurbished and transformed into a food and drink destination for local people and to welcome visitors from across the county.

  • Burtons Chambers building, opposite the Town Hall and Market Hall, which will be restored to become a co-working space for local people to work from and for businesses and events.
  • Market Chambers building, next to Burton Chambers, which will be refurbished and repaired, aiming to enable transform it into a cultural, arts and heritage venue moving forward.

Work has now started to mobilise the team needed for the next stage of the project, and to deliver on plans that will make sure the projects have maximum impact for Hyndburn.

Cllr Miles Parkinson OBE, Leader of Hyndburn Council, said:

“We are delighted that the hard work to develop a strong bid has led to a successful outcome, meaning we can deliver all three of our identified projects. It is critical we have a team in place with the experience and knowledge of successfully delivering projects such as these, and we are confident that appointing a Programme Director with a track record of delivering complex regeneration projects will enable us to do this. We look forward to working with RLB and the team Gretta helps us to assemble to deliver these important projects.”