AT first glance, Olympic gold medallist Stephen Burke and Hollies drummer Bobby Elliott may not seem to have much in common – however, they both live in Horsfield ward, in Colne.

The ward reaches out from the heart of Colne town centre to the rural countryside of Foulridge and Laneshawbridge, taking in a mixture of fascinating historic buildings and contemporary ones.

Colne Parish Church, dating from 1122, is one of the most notable buildings in the ward.

Some of the other old buildings, including RH Berry and Son, a furniture shop on Windy Bank, have a network of connecting tunnels which lead to the church, thought to have been used during the Reformation.

In recent years, the town centre part of the ward has benefited from a large amount of investment including Shackleton Hall, a former ‘eyesore’ in Church Street, which was transformed into bustling arcade, office space and retail units following a £2million makeover in 2012.

And in 2009, after some controversy, Sainsbury’s was built, creating 320 jobs.

Other amenities in the area are Colne Library, Colne Market, Park Primary School, Park High School, Byron Road Community Centre, and a playground.

Coun Ann Kerrigan represents Horsfield ward.

She said:”Colne has some outstanding independent traders and many of them in Horsfield ward. There is Lawsons butchers and a few doors on, Graham’s chicken shop.

“About Coffee is another business that is thriving in Colne, based in an old shop right next to Ivegate and the winner of a national award as an independent supplier of fine coffee beans.”

There is also a large residential area in the ward, with a mixture of types of housing with a wide range of prices.

Horsfield also has a rural element, with fantastic views of Lake Burwain and Pendle Hill. However, land off Castle Road is now thought to be under threat from developers.

Ann added: “Travel up Castle Road and the scenery is breathtaking. The landscape is moorland, hill and dale and it is as good as anything in the Yorkshire Dales.”

However, Ann says that despite recent improvements, there are still areas in the ward that need to be regenerated.

She said:”Oak Mill is an eyesore and is just waiting to be cleaned up.

“It is now a dumping ground for fly tippers and the fences appear to have been pulled down, with barbed wire on the pavement causing danger to anyone who gets entangled, a definite danger at night as this site is a well-known illicit playground.”