Fulledge Recreation Ground, Burnley
Site Description
Fulledge Recreation Ground is less than 1km south east of Burnley town centre located within a largely residential area. The site is approximately 6 hectares in size and is located on the eastern banks of the River Calder, at the northern end of Towneley Park. It is a relatively flat site that is mostly covered by rough grassland with trees around the edges of the site. The southern part of the site has varied topography and comprises of a wetland habitat with more extensive woodland around its southern and eastern boundaries.
Immediately adjacent to the site to the north and east are the residential streets of Thursfield Road and Mitella Street. Towneley High School is opposite the site on the western side of the river and to the south of Fulledge beyond the wetland area are playing fields for the school.
Grid Reference: 385165 432055
Size: 6ha
Site Boundary
View the Site
Boundary 
(size 297kb)
Current Status
The northern part of the site consists predominantly of amenity grassland with trees along the river bank and along the northern & eastern boundaries. An area largely covered with bare soil and hardstanding covers the northern most part of the site and this is used for football parking by Burnley FC. Burnley Fair also occupies this part of the site and a larger area extending southwards across the recreation ground, on an annual basis.
There is a recently constructed Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) and refurbished playground along the eastern boundary of the site.
The area south of the footpath that crosses the site is very different in character to the north and contains a wetland habitat and wooded area. In addition to the public footpath that splits the site there is an informal footpath that runs along the full length of the eastern bank of the River Calder through the site.
Previous Use
Fulledge Recreation Ground was formally part of a laundry & dry cleaning works. It has also been used previously as a landfill site and for the tipping of fly ash. The site is potentially contaminated with toxic leachate associated with the former uses of the site.
Proposed Use
It is envisaged that the REMADE scheme at Fulledge Recreation Ground will provide a quality area of open space for use by the local community. Any scheme will also tackle contamination resulting from former uses of the site. Improving the drainage of the site and exploring the potential for enhancing and possibly extending the wetland area to the south of the site will also be tackled as party of any REMADE scheme. Improving access points into the site and footpath links through are also key objectives for any scheme.
Aerial Photo
View an Aerial
Photo of the site. (size 291kb)
Design
Three design options have been produced for the site by Capita Symonds. These were not put forward as complete options but people were asked to comment on the particular elements of each scheme that they liked and disliked. The 3 options can be viewed below:-
The completed outline design for the scheme was approved by stakeholders in July 2006. Features of the design include an informal grassed area to the north of the site, the creation of a junior sized football pitch, extension of the existing wetland area and the creation of new footpaths/cycleways through the site. The outline design for the scheme can be viewed below:-
- Outline Design (size 506kb)
Consultation
A public consultation event was held at St Catherine’s Parish Hall on 30th June 2005 presenting the 3 outline design options for the site and inviting people to give their comments. Further consultation has since taken place with the Fulledge Action Community Team (FACT). Nearly 100 comments have been received in reply to the public consultation events and these have been used to inform the design for the site.
Work-in-Progress
Following the results received from the consultation the outline design was revised and further site investigations took place. Works on site started at the beginning of July 2007 and are planned to be completed by early Summer 2008. More details can be found in this press release.