Blackburn town centre renaissance

The Blackburn Town Centre Renaissance Programme is a 6 year framework designed to secure the sustainable regeneration of Blackburn town centre and to pump prime a major phase of new investment.

This a major proposal, linked to the approved Blackburn town centre strategy, to secure the revitalisation of the town centre over a 6 year period. It builds on the excellent work undertaken by the Borough Council and its partners including the North West Development Agency in recent years in improving the public realm and removing through traffic from the central area.

What changes will be made?

New development in Church Street, Blackburn The programme covers the whole of the town centre area, within and adjacent to the line of the orbital route. It includes site acquisitions linked to development proposals, new infrastructure, new and improved public spaces, gateway improvements and conservation work. It encompasses a major new mixed-use development adjoining the existing shopping
centre.

Vision

The vision of the programme is to achieve:

• 'a vibrant centre of consolidated and sustainable economic success with a variety of themed areas building on the inherent distinct uses within the town centre'.
  
• the creation of a town with a range of activities throughout the 24 hour cycle.
  
• A town centre that is coherent, user friendly and lively, with convenient access in which the visitor can move easily and safely between the different quarters of the town centre to enjoy the range of facilities that it offers.

Current situation

Blackburn Cathedral The priority in these early years of the programme is to establish a sound base against which to deliver the bulk of the capital spend in later years. By necessity early work has focused on initial feasibility and design work and much of this is underway, building investor confidence is also a priority for the programme, since much of the outcome will depend on new large-scale private sector schemes. These are progressing well and in particular the Peel development adjoining the railway station has now been completed. The Mall Corporation are well advanced in the design of the new Lord Square development, and with the re-modelling of the shopping centre, and planning permission has now been granted. Blackburn Cathedral hopes to start Phase 1 of their masterplan and a planning application is expected.

The masterplan for the redevelopment of the inner core including the markets has been completed. The detailed business case has been approved and the 2 main options are currently being worked up. The delivery of this major project will be one of the main priorities for the programme. The public realm scheme, which link all of these developments together, are currently being designed and phase 1 covering Sudell Cross and Cardwell place has commenced.

Another major priority is to make the most effective link between the job opportunities created by this new investment and the needs of local residents. At this early stage we are working with companies to identify the numbers and types of jobs on offer so that we can, together with other partners agencies, help to produce the right numbers of potential candidates, with the right skills, and to overcome with partners the remaining barriers to securing employment. Significant progress has already been made in targeting job opportunities generated by commercial development to local residents. 

Contact details for further information:

The programme co-ordinator

Tel (01254) 585613

email: external.funding@blackburn.gov.uk

To submit your query directly please use the link below.

 Town centre renaissance query