University expansion in Burnley starts with acquisition of Victorian mill
The University of Central Lancashire has acquired a former mill in Burnley as part of its ambitious expansion plans in the town.
The university is looking to generate a ten-fold increase in the number of university students studying at its Burnley campus by 2025.
As part of the plans it has acquired the lease for Victoria Mill, the former University Technical College building.
The move will kick-start the university’s blueprint for the town and the wider East Lancashire area.
Numbers of university students in Burnley are set to rise from under 400 to 2,000 by 2021 and up to 4,000 by 2025.
Burnley Borough Council and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust are working with the university on the project alongside the Burnley Bondholders, a group of influential local business leaders.
The university’s education strategy for the region is designed to meet the existing and emerging skills’ needs of Burnley and East Lancashire.
David Taylor, pro-chancellor , said: “The acquisition of Victoria Mill captures the university’s ambitions and aspirations for the future prosperity of Burnley and the wider region.
“We will invest in state-of-the-art technology to provide new opportunities for talented people from all walks of life and provide a skills supply that will maximise the University’s social, environmental and economic impact.”
The university’s vision for Victoria Mill is that it will play a major role in the expansion of UCLan Burnley’s course portfolio which by 2025 will include undergraduate and postgraduate courses focusing on advanced manufacturing; healthcare, fitness and social care sectors; aerospace; the creative and digital media sector; social sciences; business services and leadership and management.
Dr Ebrahim Adia, Provost at UCLan Burnley, added: “Acquiring Victoria Mill means we are entering a new era in our educational vision for Burnley. We will invest in flexible learning spaces and a new clinical skills lab supported by the latest technology to deliver a truly customised learning experience.
“Overall the University aims to provide a step change in extending its successful work to raise the educational aspirations of young people and under-represented groups from Burnley and beyond so they can reap the life-long benefits that higher education can bring.”
