A new vision for Whalley Range

Vibrant Asian heritage is increasingly providing an important opportunity for Blackburn town centre and wider tourism development for the region. The existing cluster of South Asian shops along Victoria Street, Randal Street and Whalley Range has already begun to make Blackburn a major successful centre for Asian retail.

With over 90 shops specialising in the finest quality Asian music, film, food, spices, fabric, fashions, beauty and accessories, the area is a bustling centre of activity throughout the day and into the evening. Its growing reputation as ‘the’ place to shop for the most fashionable and exclusive Asian styles is something Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council together with the Whalley Range Bazaar Business Group are keen to try and develop further.

 The vision is to establish the Whalley Range area as a distinct but important part of the town centre offer, with a quality environment and vibrant retail mix which successfully attracts a culturally diverse range of visitors.
 “The Whalley Range Bazaar vision is a great opportunity to brand a thriving business community within Blackburn. The area attracts shoppers from as far as Scotland and London with its vast offering of retail outlets. It’s only right we look to develop and modernise the region to be recognised as an attractive place to visit within Blackburn town centre.”
Zaheer Hussain, chair of the Whalley Range Business Group and owner of Café Dil, Victoria Street

Is the vision realistic?

 Last year the Council commissioned specialist consultants BDP Planning to carry out study into whether this is a realistic vision and if so how the area could achieve its full potential.

To do this, the study looked at the historical development of the area, its current role, its relationship to the town centre core, the property market and economic trends in the Asian retail sector. It looked at transport, movement and accessibility throughout the area as well as the buildings, their use and the environment.

Some of the key conclusions from the study were:

• The area does have the potential to develop significantly in the near future.
• With the right investment and development the area could play a key role as part of the town centre offer and could successfully be marketed at as a distinct area with a unique offer.
•  ‘Fashion’ should form a key part of the concept development for the area.
• Asian retailing could provide an important element to the borough’s tourism offer.
• There is significant will for development of the concept from residents and businesses as well as interest from other investors, particularly on the back of potential investment from the council.
• Whalley Range is already a vibrant retail area but is constrained by its environment, including buildings, general streetscape, green spaces, traffic routes, parking and pedestrian facilities.
• Pedestrian links to the town centre need to be addressed and alternations to Barbara Castle Way/Victoria Street junction should be taken forward as a strategic project by the Council.

Public Consultion

During February, March and April 2005 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council together with the Whalley Range Bazaar Business Group consulted on the new vision for the Whalley Range area (including Whalley Range, Victoria Street and Randal Street) This was stage 1 consultation.

Feedback from stage 1 consultation was very positive and as a result, further work is now being done to progress some of the ideas. Already funding has been secured for an environmental improvement scheme, including a property improvement grant programme for retail businesses. 

 If you would like to receive a copy of the consultation leaflet, please call the Investor Development Officer on (01254) 585630 or email regeneration@blackburn.gov.uk 

Details of the stage 1 proposals consulted upon in 2006 can be seen on the following pages.

Click here for further details of the environmental improvemnt scheme.