Scaled-back Blackburn centre skills hub and sewer approved

Work to prepare for the building of Blackburn’s scaled-back flagship multi-million pound skills and education campus including the diversion of a main sewer across the town centre site has been authorised.

Senior councillors on Thursday might approved a report on the progress of the scheme including a revised initial cost of £45m down from the original estimate of £60m.

The works given the green light by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive board include a £1.25m diversion of a large diameter sewer across the middle of the site bounded by Brown Street, Ainsworth Street and Penny Street.

Presenting the report authority leader Cllr Phil Riley said: “This is a key step forward seeking permission for the enabling works to start.

“There is a lot of enabling work that needs to be done,

“This includes dealing with the main sewer that runs across the centre of the site.”

The new development, backed by The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), which is in the process of changing its name to the University of Lancashire, will be on the site of the town centre’s former market next to the cleared site of the Thwaites Brewery.

It aims to provide a bespoke learning hub for almost 3,000 students as a key part of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s £250m Town Centre Masterplan.

The report gives a provisional completion date for the main campus building of March 31 2028.

Thursday’s meeting confirmed the award of £20m of Levelling Up grant from the government for the project and £6m from Lancashire’s new Combined County Authority split between £2m for the campus and £4m to redevelop the former St John’s Church building as a new digital and cyber hub as part of the wider Blackburn Business Innovation District.

It also approved spending £23m from the council’s own capital budget on the first of two potential buildings for the skills and education campus with the second put on the backburner.

The preparatory works authorised also include the appointment of architects BDP, Turner & Townsend as project managers, civil engineers Casey Construction and lawyers Blake Morgan for the scheme.

The report reveals: “The estimated development costs for the project are £45m which comprises £32m for Building 1 and £13m for external works which includes highway realignment, service diversions, flood basins, landscaping and public realm.

“BDP will submit a revision to the existing planning application to reduce the building height to reflect the latest requirements of UCLAN and to reduce capital costs. The building footprint and masterplan remain unaltered.

“Included as part of the enabling works package is the diversion of a large diameter combined sewer which is classified by United Utilities (“UU”) as critical infrastructure.

“The construction of Building 1 requires the diversion of the sewer and therefore the council appointed UU to progress the design of the diversion.

“Site works will be complete by the end of 2025.

“The diversion design and construction works are estimated to cost £1.25m.

“The proposed new building for UCLAN would be a modern purpose-built facility of high-quality inspirational learning space.

“This new town centre facility will help enable UCLAN to fulfil its own growth plans and locate a
new and significant presence within Blackburn town centre.”

The report says the council is also seeking commercial interest in constructing a second building as a ‘follow on phase’ of the campus.

It adds: “The visually impressive and inspirational campus buildings and nearly two acres of uplifting public realm and greenspace in a new urban park will catalyse the follow-on phases of the new Town

Centre Masterplan and unlock new public and private investment into the town centre regenerating over 15 acres of vacant, under-utilised or outdated buildings.

“The campus will significantly boost regular town centre footfall, directly and indirectly supporting new town centre employment across the commercial, leisure and retail sectors.

“Our Business Innovation District will also help to cement plans for the adjoining developments including the re-development of the former St John’s Church to a new Digital and Cyber Hub together with new town centre living opportunities with potential for a new hotel and leisure and retail uses.”