Housing Pendle breathes new life into Colne landmark

HOUSING Pendle is ready to move into Shackleton Hall after completing a massive makeover on the iconic building.

Years of neglect have seen Shackleton Hall, a Grade II listed building and former Colne and District Co-operative Society HQ, become a town centre eye sore which was placed on English Heritage’s “At Risk” Register.

But thanks to the project between Housing Pendle, the borough’s biggest social landlord and PEARL2, the joint venture partnership between Barnfield Investment Properties and Pendle Borough Council, the building has undergone a remarkable transformation.

In under a year, the building has been totally regenerated using the latest “green” technology whilst maintaining some of the building’s original features.

The exterior has also been upgraded, as well as creating 11 retail/office suites in the adjoining retail arcade, which are in keeping with the town’s Victorian architecture.

Businesses including the Pendle Community Credit Union have already agreed a lease on two of the retail units in the arcade and others are already in negotiation.

Ian Clark, Housing Pendle’s Executive Director, was delighted to get the keys on a new home.

He said: “The regeneration of Shackleton Hall is a win/win for the people of the borough. “Not only will our customers have a one-stop shop to access all our services but a beautiful building has been brought back into use and the local economy will benefit from a new range of shops in the arcade.

“The transformation has been nothing short of remarkable and our staff are looking forward to working in a modern and fantastic new office.”

Gareth Smith, Head of Regeneration at Barnfield Construction, added: “This has been a real opportunity to bring back to life a real building of stature that is close to the hearts of many people in and around Pendle. “Through hard work and determination we have achieved real regeneration and have proved that PEARL2 is hugely successful and capable of tackling the most difficult of projects.

“In a relatively short period of time we have taken a derelict building and transformed this Grade 2 listed building into a sustainable business and retail location.”

Brian Cookson, Director (Regeneration), for Pendle Council, sits on the PEARL2 board: said: “It’s great to see a once ramshackle building being restored to the historic landmark we can all be proud of! “Housing Pendle now has a fantastic new base and the arcade is currently being brought back to life and will include new shops, offices and a bistro.

“PEARL2 is proving to be a really successful mechanism for tackling difficult projects such as this, and I am really pleased that, after a lot of hard work, such an excellent end result has been achieved”.