Burrs Countryside Halt

Project Background

The provision of a request halt at Burrs has been a long term aspiration of the East Lancashire Railway Development Plan. Burrs is now an established visitor attraction in its own right, with its attractive country park setting, industrial archaeology, canoe facilities, bunkhouse/camping facilities, and its emergence as a key site for the Irwell Sculpture Trail. Burrs is also a popular location for photographers of the East Lancashire Railway (ELR).

Project Description

The usage and visitor demand at Burrs is now sufficiently great to consider the feasibility of creating the Burrs Countryside Halt when the Heywood Extension is opened to tourist traffic. The proposal is for the construction of a minimum 4 carriage length platform to the north of Burrs Viaduct together with a link path to the Burrs country park.

Project Costs

It is anticipated that the cost of a railway halt at Burrs would be in the region of £100,000; and this estimate was reflected in the Planning Capital Programme for 2003/2004 and 2004/2005.

The next stage, in conjunction with the East Lancashire Light Railway (ELLR) Company, is to establish more fully the feasibility of the project and an accurate cost estimate on which basis external funding bids can be made. A provisional local authority contribution of £30,000 was allocated spread over 2003/2004 2004/2005.

Possible external funding contributions are seen as the Countryside Agency (who part funded Irwell Vale halt) and the Pilsworth Environmental Company or the North West Development Agency.

Outputs

The project will have the following benefits:

• Further the aims of the wider Irwell Valley Strategy by linking together the two key visitor attractions, the ELLR and the Burrs country park.
• Increase the accessibility of Burrs (including disabled access) from Bury town centre and from other locations within the Irwell Valley and the Heywood Link.
• Increase the potential of the ELLR to be a means of exploring the Irwell Sculpture Trail.
• Add to the ELR's appeal as an all-year attraction.

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