Our vision for the site, known locally as Mile Wharf, started to take shape three years ago, with a successful Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant for emergency repair work. Since then, we have secured a further £2.2m from HLF's Heritage Enterprise Programme and this week planning permission was granted by Burnley Council. Work is expected to start this summer and should take around a year to complete.
Working with the future tenants of the site, Finsley Gate Wharf Ltd, the plans will transform the Grade II Listed buildings - three warehouses, a canal cottage, outbuilding and blacksmith forge - and the outdoor space, into a destination offering boat trips and boat hire, a café and visitor accommodation, as well as a function room and learning area for local community and school groups.
Ian Sprott, development surveyor at Canal & River Trust, said: "Approval of our Finsley Gate development plans is great news and we're excited to see this important heritage site be transformed into an attractive visitor destination and a hub of activity for the local community.
"With the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Burnley Council, Finsley Gate Wharf Ltd and the local community, this promises to be an exciting space where people can learn about the canal and enjoy the fantastic wellbeing benefits of spending time on or near the water."
Burnley Council chief executive Mick Cartledge added: "This scheme will breathe new life into an historic part of the borough and help create a regeneration link between the Weavers' Triangle and Burnley Wood."