Hyndburn: An Enterprising Borough
The
Borough of Hyndburn was established in 1974 on the reorganisation of local government.
While the name is unfamiliar to most outside East Lancashire, the towns in the
Borough, particularly Accrington, are known and retain their individual character.
Hyndburn is favoured in its location at the location at the northerly extremity
of the Lancashire industrial belt. It is a compact area: in fact it is the smallest
Borough in acreage in Lancashire, however, what it lacks in size is more than
compensated for the character of its stone built towns and by its many parks
and open spaces. No-one in Hyndburn is far from the hills and open countryside:
indeed its backcloth of hills and moorland make the Borough a pleasant place
in which to live and work. Residents can enjoy all the facilities of a town environment
yet, at the same time, have the countryside within modest walking distance. Motoring
too can be a pleasure since it is possible to journey North from Hyndburn all
the way to the Scotish border and beyond and encounter little serious urban development.
Conversely, the motorway and improved network serving the Borough make city and
coastal facilities readily and easily accessible.
The Borough has retained and revitalised much of its traditional retail trading,
including its interesting markets at Accrington and Great Harwood. In addition,
however, to the specialist small shops, for which the area is so well known,
the Borough also offers more diverse attractions for shoppers such as Superstores
and the Arndale Shopping Centre with its covered arcades and multi-storey car
park. A considerable bonus for visitors and shoppers alike is the abundance of
free car parking in the Borough.
Industrially, the Borough in recent decades has witnessed initially a decline
in cotton and heavy engineering but the support of the council in encouraging
and assisting new as well existing industries has led to a rebirth in these sectors
and to the expansion of new emerging industrial sectors. The improved motorway
network means that Hyndburn is assuming an increasing central role in the region.
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