A big warm Northern welcome to Burnley.
After all, we weren’t voted the friendliest town in Britain without good reason. But we also mean business. From world-renowned cutting-edge brands and solid investment opportunities to affordable living and housing and spectacular countryside to explore, we truly believe we have it all in Burnley.
This investment pack will take you on a journey to discover:
• Our vibrant sectors, including advanced manufacturing and advanced engineering, digital and creative and logistics
• Why being based in Burnley makes business sense
• The affordable and varied lifestyle you and your employees can enjoy
• Our connections - both geographically and the many businesses that call our town home
• Our impressive talent pool including experienced professionals and university graduates
Burnley in brief
A solid investment
If you’re looking for a borough in which to invest, we believe we can tick all of your boxes.
Burnley College is the
6,000 manufacturing and engineering employees College in the country
29th in the UK for digital connectivity
Mean house price £128,500
1 st 27th for % of industry made up by manufacturing in the UK for ‘new economy’ firms
242,220sq ft of The University of Lancashire campus and accommodation space INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS within an hour’s drive 3 No.1
42% of national average
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED ON M65 WITH ACCESS TO M6, M62, M66 AND BEYOND...
2.2MILLION
The beating heart of the UK
Burnley has prime central location in the UK. Our thriving varied sectors are at the heart of what we do and we’d love to welcome you to join us. We are incredibly well connected, which means our businesses are too.
and
52
Burnley -
better connected
Situated around junction 10 of the M65, Burnley has connections south to the M66 and then on to the M62, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool. Along the M65 to the west are Blackburn, the M6, Preston, Blackpool, the Lake District and beyond.
Our motorways are fast flowing so we measure miles in minutes. Within five minutes of Burnley centre is rural splendour. Within one hour are the three international airports in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.
Air
Burnley benefits from the proximity of three international airports, all within approximately one hour’s drive.
• Manchester Airport (45 minutes) The UK’s third largest airport (the largest outside of London), handling over 22 million passengers a year to over 200 destinations
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport (50 minutes) One of Europe’s fastest growing airports now serving over five million passengers a year. Regular scheduled services are currently available to 69 domestic and European destinations
• Leeds-Bradford International Airport (1 hour) One of the UK’s fastest growing airports, now handles over two million passengers per annum and provides access to over 70 domestic, European and international destinations
Sea - Liverpool SuperPort
• The largest of the Peelports, handling over 33 million tonnes of cargo, within one hour of Burnley
• Liverpool is ranked among Britain’s major deep sea container ports and is the country’s major gateway for trade with the United States/Canada serving more than 100 global destinations
Road
Burnley has excellent uncongested high-speed road networks – the M65 offers fast, direct connections to:
• The M60 and M66 to/from Manchester
• The M6 and M65 to/from the Preston area, the coastal resorts and the Lake District
• The M62 or A646 to/from Leeds
• Leading UK logistics providers take advantage of these network routes, operating transport services from their base in Burnley
Rail
Burnley is served by several stations, with the main being Burnley Manchester Road, which operates services west to Preston and east to Leeds and York. It also operates a 45-minute direct train service to Manchester.
Our vibrant sectors
We’ve already mentioned that we have it all in Burnley. And that’s because we truly do.
We’re the first to admit that sometimes it surprises people just how many vibrant sectors call our borough home. The following are just a handful of the thriving sectors you could work in or tap into.
Manufacturing and Engineering
6,000
MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES
STUDENTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF LANCASHIRE IS IN THE UK
TOP 20
FOR AEROSPACE AND AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
DELIVERED TO UK ECONOMY BY NORTH WEST AEROSPACE CLUSTER
Burnley is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to manufacturing and engineering. In total, these major sectors and all of their sub sectors, including aerospace and automotive, account for 6,000 jobs in Burnley – approximately 16% of total jobs in the borough8
Aerospace
Our central location in the North West means we are at the heart of the wider regional advanced engineering cluster. The North West aerospace cluster is the biggest in Europe, contributing £7 billion to the UK economy - 25% of UK aerospace turnover9 We are home to some of the most important players in the industry, including Safran Nacelles, Velocity Composites and Paradigm Precision.
Burnley may be at the heart of the North West and therefore its advanced engineering cluster, but we offer a highly competitive cost base. Our industrial rents and labour costs are competitive compared to manufacturing and engineering clusters in other parts of the country.
Manufacturing
We are proud to also host renowned advanced manufacturing companies that deliver cutting-edge products. Leading advanced manufacturers include AMS Neve, BCW Engineering and VEKA plc. All are leaders in their fields and innovative in their approach.
Burnley’s average labour costs are 13.8% lower than national average10, but companies who choose to be based here also benefit from our position at the heart of the UK. Our convenient transport network not only simplifies logistics, but means talent can be attracted across a large part of the North West, including Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester.
Automotive
We know how easy it is to get in, out and around Burnley, but we also have a solid automotive sector. Supported by our attractive transport and logistics networks, the sector is home to primes such as BCW, Fort Vale Engineering and Futaba Manufacturing
The UK is home to four mainstream car manufacturers, ten engine manufacturers, seven major sports car and premium manufacturers and 22 research and design centres – not to mention more than 2,500 suppliers11 Burnley’s prime central position in the UK makes it a convenient location for automotive companies.
Advance Point is one of Burnley’s newest business parks and is located on Rossendale Road. The site, developed by Barnfield Construction, offers units of 2,000 - 10,500 Sq Ft and builds upon the success of the neighbouring existing Rossendale Road Industrial Estate.
The site provides 22 modern industrial units with roller shutter access teamed with 160 car parking spaces on a site strategically located two miles from junctions 9 and 10 of the M65. The development aims to bring new jobs and investment to the area, with potential for manufacturing, distribution or light industrial use. Advance Point is an attractive location for supply chain partners within the area and the units are designed with these growing businesses in mind.
ENGINEERING AND AEROSPACE HUB AT INNOVATION DRIVE
1ST
FOR % OF JOBS MADE UP BY MANUFACTURING
Case Study
Who Safran Nacelles
What Thanks to the commitment of our employees, proven innovation and operational excellence, Safran designs, builds and supports high-tech solutions to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. The Burnley site specialises in the industrialisation and manufacture of nacelles for business jets, short-haul, and long-haul aircraft. We are experts in sheet metal, composites, and assembly.
35-MINUTE
DRIVE TO THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CENTRE NORTH WEST
3 INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS WITHIN AN HOUR’S DRIVE
1 HOUR TO LIVERPOOL SUPERPORT
Where Safran Nacelles Ltd is located just outside Burnley town centre, and operates out of three large factories contained on one site. We are the sole UK location for Safran Nacelles, and our teams are responsible for manufacturing, engineering, quality, and a host of support services.
Size 650 employee based at our UK site in Burnley
Why Burnley? Burnley has a strong heritage of excellence in engineering and manufacturing, and is positioned in one of the world’s largest aerospace clusters. This history ensures we have a robust talent pool to support our business, and the strong partnerships with local civic, industry and academic partners ensures we continue to be able to grow and evolve our business to remain as leaders in our sector. Alongside this, the pride of the people in Burnley is reflected in the passion that our workforce has for our products, which are contributing to thousands of safe flights around the world every single day.
Adam Patterson, Strategy Director, Safran Nacelles Ltd
9,100
RETAIL, LEISURE AND TOURISM JOBS IN BURNLEY 8.3 MILLION VISITS TO PRIMARY SHOPPING AREA ANNUALLY 3
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS WITHIN AN HOUR’S DRIVE
2.2 MILLION TOURISM VISITS ANNUALLY
Retail, Leisure and Tourism
Burnley is centrally located within both the UK and the North West and is incredibly well connected. There are three international airports within an hour’s drive - Manchester Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Leeds-Bradford International Airport. Burnley is also located on the M65, which opens to the M6, M62 and beyond. This makes the town extremely easily accessible for visitors to the town, with 2.2 million tourism visits annually. As such, Burnley has a firmly established retail, leisure and tourism sector, which accounts for some 9,100 of jobs13. Just a handful of those who are ready with a warm welcome include Crow Wood Resort, Burnley Leisure and Culture, Pioneer Place, Charter Walk Shopping Centre, Towneley and Gawthorpe Halls and Queen Street Mill.
Case Study
Who Crow Wood Leisure
5 TENANTS AT PIONEER PLACE, WHICH OPENED IN 2023 £24M
There are also more than 40 bars, cafes and restaurants within a mile of Burnley town centre, making it a convenient location for tourism and local visitors alike. The town centre also benefits from a vibrant mix of big brand and independent shops.
Padiham town centre has recently enjoyed a comprehensive redevelopment project, including new shop fronts, improved public realm and beautiful wall murals. The town hosts a vibrant array of family-friendly events throughout the year.
What Crow Wood is a unique concept in health, fitness and leisure. The resort plays host to an award-winning members health club and gym, fantastic soccer centre, world-class spa facilities with a recent £17 million extension, a fabulous 76-bedroom hotel and three resort restaurants, two of which boast AA rosettes. The multi-million-pound spa completed in August 2024 and is arguably the largest spa in Britain.
Where Set within 100 acres of greenbelt land in the heart of Burnley, just off junction 11 of the M65. In the 1990s, MD Andrew Brown purchased a dairy farm and began his ambitious project. Today Crow Wood Resort and Spa attracts thousands of visitors to Burnley each year.
Size 400 employees
Why Burnley? “Burnley has a rich heritage, yet continues to challenge visitor perceptions with its ambitions and vision. It’s a small town with a big heart. The people of Burnley are hardworking, ambitious yet down-to-earth and welcoming. There’s a huge sense of community spirit amongst everyone here. The town has always been good to me and it’s important to me that we are able to give something back to the economy and provide jobs and fantastic leisure opportunities for local people. Burnley absolutely deserves these world-class luxury leisure experiences to complement its fantastic location, great affordable housing and career opportunities.” Andrew Brown, MD of Crow Wood Leisure
Digital and Creative
20%
GROWTH IN DIGITAL BUSINESSES
27th
IN THE UK FOR NEW ECONOMY FIRMS
29th
IN THE UK FOR DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY
45 MINS TO MANCHESTER VIA DIRECT TRAIN
1
HOUR APPROX DRIVE TIME TO LEEDS AND LIVERPOOL
Our growing status as a university town goes hand in hand with our digital jobs success. There are 33,000 employees in the digital sector in Lancashire, with the National Cyber Force planning to create 2,000 new jobs at Samlesbury by 2023. The county’s digital economy has witnessed 28% GVA growth since 201915
Between 2012 and 2017, there was a 20% increase in the number of digital businesses in Burnley and Pendle16 Burnley is 27th in the UK for ‘new economy’ firms e.g. FinTech and 29th in the UK for digital connectivity.
With the University of Lancashire committed to having thousands of students, we are excited to see this sector further expand.
Some of our digital leaders include FDM Digital Solutions, DEM Automation and Workholding, Root Fifty-Two, Bandicoot, AMS Neve and HolkerIT Burnley businesses have received £1.5 million of funding from Innovate UK since its inception, reflecting out stature as a creative and forward-thinking hub17
We have a thriving digital network in Burnley with a growing schedule of dedicated events. We are proud to be a base for Barclays Eagle Labs, after it announced in 2022 that we were a key strategic location as a growing ‘tech town’.
Case Study
Who Door4
What Door4 is a digital agency that delivers e-commerce technology, marketing and consultancy to ambitious brands across the UK. Where Door4 is based in Burnley Wharf, a Grade II listed building in the heart of the Weavers’ Triangle - an emerging digital hub. This historic canal-side location offers a unique blend of old and new, reflecting Burnley’s transformation into a 21st-century centre for innovation Size 25 people
Why Burnley? “As someone who grew up in Burnley, I’ve witnessed first-hand the town’s incredible transformation into a business-friendly hub. When space opened up at Burnley Wharf, we were immediately drawn to its unique blend of history and modernity. The canal-side setting provides an inspiring environment for our team, while the convenient location near Manchester Road train station and the bus station ensures easy access for both employees and clients.
Being one of the region’s largest agencies of our kind, we’re able to attract top talent who appreciate Burnley’s unique appeal – close to the dynamism of Manchester but without the hustle and bustle of big city life. This access to a growing pool of skilled digital professionals is invaluable. Our Burnley headquarters provides the perfect base for serving clients across the region, with easy access to Manchester for meetings and events when needed.
We’re proud to call Burnley home, and we’re excited to be part of its continued growth as a leading digital hub.” Leon Calverley, Founder
1st in UK
Education and Training
Burnley is a growing university town, with The University of Lancashire planning to offer courses to thousands of students. Some of the current available qualifications at their Burnley campus include Medical Sciences, Nursing, Midwifery, Psychology, Social Work and Social Care and Community.
That’s on top of the qualifications already offered by Burnley College and Burnley College University Courses, as well as the town’s other further education establishments. Burnley College offers a sixth-form centre, university courses, Themis apprenticeships and adult learning. Rated by Oftsed as Outstanding, the college also has the second-largest apprenticeship programme in Lancashire
Case Study
Who Burnley College
This is supported by the exciting and thriving sectors that apprentices can gain experience in. Its Sixth Form Centre was also announced as the top in England in 2024
We are proud of our modern educational facilities for courses such as medical sciences and our new student accommodation. The 136-bedroom student accommodation at Sandygate opened in 2020 and forms another milestone in the transformation of the wider historic canal-side “On the Banks” project by Barnfield and Burnley Developments.
What Burnley College has a mission to build futures and change lives, offering outstanding further and higher education, plus specialist industry training; online programmes and adult learning. Students travel from across the North West to access our expertise and state-of-the-art facilities. We are officially the Number 1 college in the country in the government’s National Achievement Rate Tables for learners aged 16-18 due to our exceptional teaching, which empowers our students to achieve the very best results.
Where Burnley College occupies a prime site on the edge of Burnley town centre, with easy access to road/rail links and pedestrian routes into the vibrant heart of town. Our £115m campus, which was built on a brownfield site in 2009, is continually developing, with the support of Burnley Borough Council and in consultation with local businesses, to ensure learners are offered the very best environment, facilities and equipment to boost their development.
Size Burnley College has more than 9,000 learners (all taught in small class sizes) and a workforce of almost 700.
Why Burnley? Burnley College is proud to work alongside the amazing businesses found in the borough, supporting them in their mission to be world-beating and to push innovation to its very limits. From the time of the Industrial Revolution through to today’s advancements in automation and digital technologies, Burnley has always led the way and been home to the pioneers of industry. Its residents are determined to make a difference, sharing a true sense of community and take pride in their achievements – all sentiments shared by Burnley College.
Karen Buchanan, Burnley College Principal
Logistics
3
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS WITHIN AN HOUR’S DRIVE
1 HOUR TO LIVERPOOL SUPERPORT 10 MAIN BUSINESS PARKS
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED ON M65 WITH ACCESS TO M6, M62, M66 AND BEYOND 2
Burnley has a varied logistics sector and is home to renowned global brands such as boohoo.com (fashion and textiles), Exertis (technology distribution) and Fagan & Whalley (haulage, distribution and warehousing). Burnley has prime central location in the UK, making us incredibly well connected, which means our businesses are too. Liverpool Superport is an hour away, whilst there are three international airports within an hour’s drive - Manchester Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Leeds-Bradford International Airport. Burnley is also located on the M65, which opens to the M6, M62 and beyond.
Fagan & Whalley and Exertis are both are based at Burnley Bridge, a 70-acre site located off junction 9 of the M65. Exertis has chosen Burnley Bridge for its national distribution centre, whilst Fagan & Whalley is based at a 92,000 sq ft high bay facility. Boohoo.com is based on the Heasandford Industrial Estate in a 1.045 million sq ft facility.
Frontier Park Burnley sits adjacent to junction 9 of the M65 motorway having been completed in early 2025 by developer Monte Blackburn Ltd. Aimed at large-scale manufacturing and logistics users, the site offers units from 39,000158,800 Sq Ft. The units have the benefit of integrated Cat A offices, dock loading and level access doors, 10-12.5m eaves height, significant power supply, and are rated at BREEAM very good standard. The site represented a significant investment of £75m by the developer, showing confidence in the borough and its ambitions for business growth.
Case Study
Who Fagan & Whalley
What “Fagan & Whalley are a 6th generation, private organisation with a progressive outlook focused on our employees and clients. We are a quality driven businessto-business (B2B) service provider who deliver dynamic, sustainable and integrated logistics solutions.
Almost 100 years ago founders started the business with a horse and cart, right here in Burnley. F&W then was moving coal from the railhead to homes in the village of Hapton and as business began to pick up, a vehicle was purchased to create efficiencies and the rest is history!
Our business has seen many changes and developments throughout its history; the need to support the War efforts during WW2 to the rise and fall of the Lancashire textile industry. Diversification has been key to navigating these challenges and is equally important today to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market environment.
We may be known for our red and green vehicles seen the length of the country, but today our organisation focuses on how we can better aid a customer’s business and how a customer can gain value from the services we offer. This maybe through the use of technology for full supply chain visibility with live notification, through to helping a customer achieve scope 3 net zero targets.”
Where “Our head office is still in Padiham, where we moved to 24 years ago. This is our main transport depot which supports the rest of the depots nationwide with vehicle planning and maintenance. Our Burnley and Blackburn sites offer contract logistics solutions
with over 350,000 sq ft of modern warehouse space. Supporting our nationwide transport operations are depots in Coventry and Newport - South Wales.”
Size 420 employees across all depots, 200 vehicles and over 400,000 sq ft warehousing space
Why Burnley? “Burnley is where the business was founded, it’s where a good proportion of our employees are based and it’s where we believe we can attract the best talent to continue developing our business. We work with many suppliers from the Burnley area who provide services to us not just in Burnley, but nationwide. The support from the Burnley Council and Burnley Bondholders far exceeds that of any other council we operate in.”
Daniel Fagan, Managing Director - Operations Managing Director - Commercial
29TH
Business, Professional and Financial Services
Burnley central’s location and efficient transport network makes it an easy borough to commute around. Burnley high street is a mix of big-name brands and independent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants and benefits from a thriving early evening economy. Padiham high street is steeped in heritage and independent businesses. In addition, Padiham Town Hall has dedicated co-working space – Room + Power.
Business, professional and financial services companies can also benefit from Burnley being a growing university town. That’s on top of the qualifications already offered by Burnley College and Burnley College University Courses, as well as the town’s other higher education establishments. Burnley College is
Case Study
Who SS&C Technologies
What: SS&C Technologies is the world’s largest mutual fund transfer agency, providing end-to-end expertise across financial services operations with software and solutions to service customers in the financial services and healthcare industries. SS&C has $2 Trillion assets under administration, 20,000 clients across 35 countries being serviced by our 27,000 colleagues.
Where SS&C UK’s head office is located in Basildon, Essex. We wanted to setup a remote office in the Northwest for our Retail Services Division. In 2022 we leased some space in the fantastic Business First offices at Empire Way off Liverpool Road. We currently occupy circa half a floor in the building, with a dedicated training area, kitchen and breakout room, alongside open plan operational space.
rated by Oftsed as Outstanding and has the second-largest apprenticeship programme in Lancashire.
Burnley benefits from high-quality office space including:
• The Landmark
• Group First House (Shuttleworth Mead)
• Ribble Court (Shuttleworth Mead)
• Business First (Empire Business Park)
• Room & Power co-working (Padiham Town Hall)
• St James House (St James Row, town centre)
• Kestrel Court (Network 65 Business Park)
Size 3500 colleagues in the UK, with 70 located at our Burnley Hub. Why Burnley? “We’ve been really impressed with how Burnley Council works to attract new investment and also to retain the investment and talent already in the borough. It was obvious how much SS&C coming here would mean in terms of a long-term partnership, we have been supported fantastically by the council and bondholder teams, alongside developing a very strong relationship with Burnley College, who have helped us source 15 amazing apprentices to SS&C since we set the hub up.”
Rob
Moore, Director, Client Services Retail, SS&C Financial Services International
The Perfect Work-Life Balance
We welcome all visitors and new residents to our borough with open arms. We are certain you know about our historic football club – but did you know that 80% of our town is rural? That makes us the perfect place to explore the outdoors, as well as our restaurants, bars and other leisure facilities.
Working and living in Burnley provides an affordable and balanced lifestyle for your employees. The mean house price in Burnley is £128,500, which is 42% of the national average. Not only does your money go further, but there is a wide-range of properties at your fingertips. From quality modern newbuilds and contemporary apartments to quaint cottages and impressive Victorian terraces, there’s something for everyone’s budget and taste.
There are two award-winning parks within walking distance of the town centre, whilst many of our parks have been awarded Green Flags for their high standards. Towneley and Gawthorpe Halls are two of the most beautiful buildings in Burnley and host family-friendly events year round. And if you really want to stretch your legs, you can stroll along the Leeds Liverpool canal or get further into the great outdoors to the famous Singing Ringing Tree and the Forest of Burnley.
With a large and varied choice of primary and secondary schools, as well as further education facilities such as Burnley College, the town is a great place to live for families. The University of Lancashire has thousands of students in Burnley, making it a bustling university town.
If you like what you see and want to find out more, please get
in touch
Our experienced Business Support Team can support you with your relocation and growth plans.
To support investors, we provide a free of charge inward investment service with a personal client account manager who has extensive knowledge of the local area, property market and business support network to help smooth your journey.
Our team can help you with:
• Information and statistics on the local economy, demographics, infrastructure, labour market etc;
• Access to finance, including grants and business rate reliefs in some cases;
• Assistance with property searches;
• HR support including:
• Wage comparisons
• Training
• Recruitment
• Local market information
• Networking opportunities;
• Supply chain introductions;
• Introductions to external support programmes;
• Familiarisation visits to the region.
As a big thank you for investing in our area, you will be allocated an account manager as part of our Company Contact Service, who will continue to support you once you have landed.
Our Business Support Team can be contacted at business@burnley.gov.uk
