Great Harwood in Hyndburn has recently seen a wave of regeneration activity, including a large community mural, a pump track, and shop front improvements. These projects have been promoted by Hyndburn Borough Council as part of the UK Government’s High Street Accelerator funding programme, which has been awarded to 10 high streets across England. Official government records show that the Accelerator designation applies only to specific streets within the town, while the wider set of regeneration projects were delivered through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), rather than through any High Street Accelerator designation for the whole town. Together, these funding streams illustrate how national programmes and local priorities are often combined to deliver visible change at a town centre level.
What is the High Street Accelerator Programme?
The High Street Accelerator Programme was announced in March 2023 as part of the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. It is a pilot initiative designed to help communities and local authorities collaborate on long-term regeneration plans. The programme forms part of a wider set of government strategies to revitalise high streets, including the £1.1bn Long-Term Plan for Towns, the High Streets Task Force, and High Street Rental Auctions. Its primary goals are to address challenges such as vacant shops, anti-social behaviour, declining visitor numbers, and underused public spaces.
Ten areas across England were selected to participate in the pilot, with these areas receiving £2.37mn in total, or £237,000 per area.
For Great Harwood, the government release specifies the streets included: Queen Street, Blackburn Road, and Church Street in Great Harwood Town Centre. The government intends for these streets to serve as models for collaborative, community-led high street regeneration, with potential spillover benefits to the surrounding town centre.
Hyndburn Borough Council’s press release places these improvements within the context of the national pilot, while the FOI response shows that delivery on the ground was supported primarily through UKSPF rather than a town-wide Accelerator award. This reflects a common local government approach in which different funding streams are used alongside one another to support shared regeneration activity.
The High Street Accelerator Programme also aligns with wider government efforts to empower local communities to address vacant properties and underused public spaces.
Local regeneration initiatives in Great Harwood
Beyond the government-funded streets, Hyndburn Borough Council has undertaken a series of complementary initiatives in Great Harwood town centre.
Community mural and public artwork
A 75-metre mural surrounding the new pump track at Central Car Park has been unveiled as part of these initiatives. Created by local artist Amy Callaghan of Pigs in Mud Art Studios, the mural was developed in collaboration with schoolchildren and community members. According to the council, the mural cost £17,500, funded through the council’s wider Great Harwood programme rather than the High Street Accelerator allocation.
The artwork draws on local history, including references to the Mercer family and the town’s Town Crier, as well as imaginative visions of the future developed by pupils from St. Wulstan’s Primary School.
Workshops at Great Harwood Library allowed residents and pupils to contribute ideas shaping the panels. The Local Authority has promoted the mural as a symbol of local pride, creativity, and community spirit.
Pump track construction
In parallel with the mural, a pump track was constructed in Central Car Park. The facility provides a recreational space for children and young people, encouraging active use of the area while complementing other regeneration measures. The pump track and mural together are designed to transform the space into both a community hub and an attractive destination for visitors. The council confirmed the cost was £70,000 and that it formed part of the wider UKSPF-funded programme.
Shop front and town centre improvements
As part of ongoing regeneration efforts, the Council has also delivered shop front improvement grants to over 20 retail spaces along Queen Street and Blackburn Road, aligning with the government-listed streets for the Accelerator programme. Landscaping and tree planting were also undertaken; the council confirms these works are now complete and notes that “Great Harwood Greenings” cost £50,000 within the wider £287,000 revenue programme. The programme supports local businesses in enhancing the appearance of their premises, improving the overall visual appeal of the high street and promoting economic vitality .
Funding clarification from FOI
The Council’s response to our Freedom of Information Request provides a detailed breakdown:
- UKSPF Capital: £450,000
- UKSPF Revenue: £287,000
- Active Travel Grant: £9,999
- Total wider programme cost: £659,499, and
- All mural, greening and pump track costs were met from these pots.
This illustrates how the High Street designation for specific streets sat alongside a wider UKSPF-funded regeneration programme, enabling multiple projects to be delivered as part of a single place-based approach.
Green space and community engagement
Additional initiatives include landscaping improvements in several town centre areas and the installation of community notice boards. These measures are intended to improve public spaces and encourage residents to engage with their local community.
Collectively, these local council initiatives complement the objectives of the High Street Accelerator programme. They support the creation of a high street that is visually appealing, socially vibrant, and economically active. Alongside the £237,000 per-area Accelerator allocation, UKSPF funding enabled a broader set of improvements to be delivered.
Understanding how different regeneration programmes interact
Hyndburn Borough Council’s press release describes Great Harwood as part of “a UK Government-funded High Street Accelerator pilot awarded to ten areas across the country”.
The national government release confirms only the three streets, Queen Street, Blackburn Road and Church Street, were designated in the national pilot list.
The broader improvements promoted as part of the Accelerator programme were actually paid for using UKSPF, not High Street Accelerator funding.
Taken together, the documents show how accelerator designation and UKSPF investment operated in parallel, contributing to a wider regeneration programme delivered at town centre level.
The government release also clarifies that the pilot allocation was £237,000 per area, while their reply to our FOI request details a separate £659,499 UKSPF-funded programme supporting the majority of physical works in Great Harwood.
Significant regeneration in Great Harwood
Great Harwood has seen significant regeneration activity in recent months, including a new mural, pump track, shop front improvements, and green space enhancements. These projects align with the objectives of the High Street Accelerator Programme, which seeks to foster collaboration between councils, residents, and businesses to tackle high street challenges. The combination of street-focused Accelerator designation and wider council-led regeneration illustrates how high street renewal is often delivered in practice. Official government records confirm that Queen Street, Blackburn Road, and Church Street in Great Harwood were included in the national pilot.
This shows that the majority of the actual works were funded through UKSPF rather than the High Street Accelerator allocation. The regeneration work, both government-aligned and locally delivered, highlights ongoing efforts to improve high streets across England. In Great Harwood, these efforts combine public art, recreational facilities, business support, and community engagement to create a revitalised town centre.
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