Starbucks in Great Harwood? That Is Not in the Plan

Something caught our eye this week in Great Harwood. Just behind one of our Crafty Vintage banners the diggers have moved in. Word on the street? A Starbucks is on the way.

We are not anti-coffee. Far from it. But we are anti-hypocrisy. And if we are still pretending that the Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Plan is the guiding strategy for the area, then someone needs to explain how yet another multinational chain fits into that vision. Because nothing about this move says community. Nothing about it says creativity. And nothing about it respects the people and small businesses already putting their hearts into Queen Street.

A Town Drenched in Supermarket Spend

Let’s not beat around the bush. Great Harwood already has Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons within walking distance. Every time someone opts for a self-service checkout or a loyalty card latte, a little more money disappears from the local economy. That’s not just theory. That’s economic leakage in action. Independent shops cannot compete with loss leaders, but they can offer something far more valuable: authenticity, accountability and community wealth.

We hear all the time that high streets are dying. But they’re not. They’re being starved by poor policy, lazy planning and convenience culture. This is not regeneration. It is corporate creep.

Queen Street Already Has a Beating Heart

The frustrating thing is that Great Harwood’s high street isn’t failing. It’s already filled with independent gems that are doing incredible things.

Just take a stroll and you’ll find:

• Finch Bakery – a local powerhouse with queues down the road and a fiercely loyal customer base. Built on passion, not private equity.

• Townsend Records – a family-run treasure trove for vinyl lovers. An institution that outlasted HMV and still champions proper music culture.

• Akela Street Food – bringing bold flavours, fresh energy and serious skill to Queen Street. No formula. No corporate script. Just real food made by real people.

• Independent salons, boutique fitness studios, florists, tailors, micro cafés and more. This isn’t a high street in decline. It’s one in need of reinforcement.

These are the kinds of businesses that Mary Portas, the UK’s original high street champion, has spent over a decade fighting for. She famously said:

“The future of our high streets lies in becoming social places. Places that make us feel connected, human, inspired.”

Finch Bakery

Townsend Records

Akela Street Food

A Starbucks doesn’t do that. It doesn’t remember your name. It doesn’t sponsor the local football team. It doesn’t fund the school raffle or host local art on its walls. It offers familiarity. But at what cost?

What Happened to the Accelerator Plan?

Let’s rewind. In February 2025, Hyndburn Borough Council announced the Great Harwood High Street Accelerator Plan with glowing statements about supporting small businesses and “revitalising the town centre”.

The plan said, clearly and proudly:

“The plan has been developed to encourage new businesses to set up and support existing local and independent businesses in the town centre.”

It promised shopfront funding, events, business support, and a long-term strategy to make Queen Street and Blackburn Road a destination.

So what changed?

• Was this Starbucks quietly approved behind closed doors?

• Were local businesses consulted?

• Was a community impact assessment ever completed?

• Has this move been benchmarked against the plan’s own success criteria?

Because if this is what “acceleration” looks like — we’re going backwards.

The Crafty Vintage View

At Crafty Vintage, we’ve spent over 15 years helping small businesses get off the ground. We’ve nurtured start-ups, mentored makers and given first-time traders the confidence to turn their side hustle into a career.

Our Whalley Monthly Artisan Market is a living example of what real regeneration looks like. Traders who started with a single table now have full studios, shops, and online empires. They employ local people. They stock local ingredients. They tell local stories.

This model works. But only if local authorities stick to their promises.

When a council publicly says it’s supporting independents but privately clears the way for multinationals, it doesn’t just risk economic damage. It breeds distrust.

How can a young barista with a dream of opening their own coffee shop compete with a global brand that has multiple tax advisors and a marketing machine worth millions?

They can’t. And many won’t even try. That’s the tragedy.

We Don’t Need Another Starbucks

We need fair rent. We need honest planning. We need consistency. We need belief in the local economy.

Because once independents are pushed out, they don’t come back. You can’t rebuild culture once it’s been flattened by convenience.

So what can we do?

How You Can Help

• Choose local over corporate whenever you can

• Visit Queen Street’s heroes – Finch Bakery, Townsend Records, Akela Street Food and many more

• Spend your money where your heart is – not where the shareholders are

• Visit Whalley Artisan Market and support the next wave of Lancashire talent

• Speak up – ask the council what they’re doing to stay true to their plan

  
  

We’ll keep doing our bit to support the traders, makers and creatives. But we can’t do it alone. Communities must speak out when promises are broken and high streets are quietly sold off one franchise at a time.

So next time you pass those diggers, ask yourself this Do we really need another Starbucks?

Or are we ready to stand up for the high street we already have?