Business hub and workspace completed under £20m regeneration scheme

Burtons Chambers in Accrington handed back to Hyndburn Borough Council by contractor Krol Corlett

Work to convert Accrington’s iconic Burtons Chambers into a shared workspace and business hub has finally been completed, more than 18 months after the project’s original March 2025 completion target.

The prominent Art Deco building opposite Accrington Town Hall has now been handed back to Hyndburn Borough Council by contractor Krol Corlett ahead of its opening as a co-working and office space operated by 2-Work.

This new-look Burtons Chambers may look familiar on the outside, but on the inside, the former department store has been swept away and replaced with dozens of offices, meeting areas, and places for people to plot the next phase of their business.

Hyndburn Council say that this redevelopment is aimed at creating a town centre hub that will support local economic growth, attract investment, and bring more people into the heart of Accrington.

The redevelopment forms part of the wider Accrington Town Square regeneration programme, which received £20million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, topped up with £3.5m from Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council.

£10.5m of this regeneration package was spent on the latest phase of works covering Burtons Chambers and the Market Hall, carried out by Krol Corlett after winning the contract last year.

The delay means the scheme has significantly overrun the timetable outlined when the council submitted its Levelling Up bid in 2022, which envisaged the town centre projects being completed by March 2025.

Council reports later identified securing vacant possession of Burtons Chambers as one of the biggest risks to delivery, with complications arising over the relocation of the building’s final tenant after a proposed relocation property was sold at auction.

The council eventually secured the freehold in February 2023 before work could progress.

But now that work is completed, the refurbished building will provide around 140 workspaces, private offices, meeting rooms and co-working facilities aimed at Accrington’s entrepreneurs, freelancers and growing businesses.

Councillor Clare Pritchard, Hyndburn Council’s cabinet member for transformation and town centres, said: “We’ve transformed one of Accrington’s most prominent historic buildings into a modern, high-quality workspace that will help support businesses, create opportunities and contribute to the continued regeneration of our town centre.”

Although construction has now finished, businesses will have to wait a little longer before moving in.

Information published by operator 2-Work states Burtons Chambers is due to open on January 4, 2027, with guided tours available beforehand.

The opening will coincide with the completion of other parts of the town centre regeneration scheme, including the long-awaited reopening of Accrington Market, on November 26.