Burnley

Coordinates: 53°47′20″N 2°14′53″W / 53.789°N 2.248°W / 53.789; -2.248

Burnley (/ˈbɜːrnli/) is a market town in Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It is 21 miles (34 km) north of Manchester and 20 miles (32 km) east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun.

The town is surrounded by countryside and villages such as Worsthorne, Cliviger, Hurstwood, Fence and Higham, and has a reputation as a regional centre of excellence for the manufacturing and aerospace industries.

The town began to develop in the early medieval period as a number of farming hamlets surrounded by manor houses and royal forests, and has held a market for more than 700 years. During the Industrial Revolution it became one of Lancashire's most prominent mill towns; at its peak it was one of the world's largest producers of cotton cloth, and a major centre of engineering.

Burnley has retained a strong manufacturing sector, and has strong economic links with the cities of Manchester and Leeds, as well as neighbouring towns along the M65 corridor. In 2013, in recognition of its success, Burnley received an Enterprising Britain award from the UK Government, for being the "Most Enterprising Area in the UK". For the first time in more than fifty years, a direct train service now operates between the town's Manchester Road railway station and Manchester's Victoria station, via the newly restored Todmorden Curve, which opened in May 2015.

Burnley (disambiguation)

Burnley is a large market town in Lancashire, England.

Burnley may also refer to:

People

Places

See also

Borough of Burnley

Coordinates: 53°47′13″N 2°14′42″W / 53.787°N 2.245°W / 53.787; -2.245

The Borough of Burnley (/ˈbɜːrnli/) is a local government district of Lancashire, England, with the status of a non-metropolitan district and borough. It has an area of 42.7 square miles (110.7 km²) and a population of 87,291 (mid-2014 est.), and is named after its largest town, Burnley. The borough is bounded by Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Rossendale – all in Lancashire – and the borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire. It is governed by Burnley Borough Council, which has been controlled by the Liberal Democrats since 2008.

History

The current borders date from 1 April 1974, when the former county borough of Burnley merged with the urban district of Padiham and part of Burnley Rural District. In 2007 its proposal to merge with neighbouring Pendle Borough Council to form a larger unitary authority was rejected by the government.

Governance

Burnley Borough Council has had a predominantly Labour controlled history, the party returned to power in 2012, after a period of leadership by the Liberal Democrats. The borough comprises 15 wards electing a total of 45 councillors.