Within Grove

Site Description

Within Grove is a site located at Huncoat, Accrington located close to the A679 Burnley Road and adjacent to Accrington Cemetery. The site is split in two by the main Preston – Colne railway line and connected by a subway. The site to the east of the railway line is a cleared former housing site located within the Within Grove housing estate. The western part of the site is a neglected area of land between the rear of industrial units on Huncoat Industrial Estate and the railway line.

Grid Reference: 376800 430100

Size: 4ha

Site Boundary

View the Site Boundary (size 639kb)

Current Status

The area of the site to the east of the railway is a derelict rough grassed area within the Within Grove housing estate. The residential streets that formerly occupied this part of the site are still visible and there is evidence of litter, flytipping and of fires being lit. There is also an area of Japanese Knotweed in this part of the site.

The western side of the site slopes down a railway embankment towards the rear of units on Huncoat Industrial Estate. Much of the embankment is covered by trees and parts of it have been eroded by scramble bikes. Elsewhere on this part of the site vegetation has established itself including extensive areas of the invasive species of Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed. There are also several informal footpaths already running through the site, extensive flytipping to the rear of the industrial units and an electricity pylon and associated powerlines.

The subway under the railway that links the two parts of the site has large amounts of litter and is an unwelcoming access between the 2 parts of the site.

Previous Use

The site to the east of the railway line was previously occupied by 3 residential streets of Borrowdale Close, Langdale close and Ullswater Avenue. The area to the west was formerly sidings connected to the railway.

Proposed Use

The final end use for the site will be established on completion of the design process. However, there is the potential on the eastern side of the railway line to create a quality piece of open space to serve the residents of the Within Grove Estate.

It is also proposed to create a shared footpath and cycleway linking both areas of the site from Windermere Avenue in the east to the Whinney Hill reclamation scheme to the west of the REMADE site. This is to form Phase 3 of the Huncoat Greenway (see plan size 1.1mb) which has the objective of providing a safe pedestrian and cycle route that links Huncoat Village, Within Grove and schools in the Milnshaw area.

The improved pedestrian and cycleway links to the west of the railway line will assist in providing a safer route to school for residents who live on Within Grove and they will also improve the connections to the existing rights of way network in the area. There are extensive areas of Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam which will need treating on the western part of the site and further landscaping is also likely to be required in this area.

Aerial Photo

View an Aerial Photo of the site. (size 464kb)

Design

The outline design for the REMADE scheme has now commenced and an initial stakeholders meeting was held on the 19th June 2006 to gain the views of interested parties on the main issues are surrounding the site. A second stakeholders meeting was held on the 14th August where several outline design options for the site were presented.

Consultation

Following the second stakeholders meeting a public consultation exhibition was held on 12th October 2006 between 3.30pm and 8pm at St. Augustine’s Church, Bolton Avenue, Huncoat. Members of the public were able to view and comment on the draft design for the site and question members of the REMADE team.

The draft design drawings are available below:

• Within Grove East Plan (size 2.0mb)
• Within Grove East Sections (size 0.8mb)
• Within Grove West Plan (size 0.9mb)
• Huncoat Greenway Options (size 2.0mb)

Planning Application

There was general support for the design proposals from the consultation event held in October 2006 and this led to the submission of a planning application for the east site in January 2007.

The application plans can be be viewed below;

• Outline Design Drawing (size 2.5mb)
• Huncoat Greenway Options (size 2.1mb)
• Planning Application Form (size 0.1mb)
• Design and Access Statement (size 0.5mb)

Any comments on the plans should be submitted to the Development Control Group of Lancashire County Council.

Work-in-Progress

Work started on the east part of the site in April 2008 with the main works finishing in July 2008. Landsacping will be completed in November 2008. For more details please see this press release

“We Live Here” Environmental Arts Project

Since August 2005 the “We Live Here” Environmental Arts Project has been operating at Within Grove. This has been an initiative led by an Environmental Artist, Kerry Morrison in partnership with Huncoat Youth Project, Hyndburn Borough Council and Mid Pennine Arts.

The Arts Project has carried out several projects with residents at Within Grove including working with young people to gain their views on the route they travelled to school and wildflower seeding of gardens in front of properties on Windermere Avenue also took place in Spring 2006.

Residents were also involved in the design of two signs at Within Grove, one of which has been erected at the cleared housing site within the REMADE site (see picture below).

The previous consultation with residents carried out by the “We Live Here” project is being used to inform the design of the REMADE scheme. A further series of events to be carried out by the “We Live Here” project at Within Grove over summer will also complement the REMADE scheme as it develops.