Blackpool town centre set for transformation as £65m multiversity site revealed

Town centre properties bounded to the north by George Street, to the east by Grosvenor Street, to the south by Milbourne Street and to the west by Cookson Street are earmarked to make way for new investment.

It will be the next phase of transformation for that part of the town centre where a £100m civil service hub and a £34m Holiday Inn hotel and tram terminal are currently under construction.

Funding of £9m has already been secured for site assembly for the multiversity as part of the Town Deal, while a bid for £40m towards construction has been made to the government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The council is also proposing to make a £16m loan towards the project, with a £5m contribution from Blackpool and the Fylde College which is a partner in the scheme, in association with Lancaster University.

It is hoped to negotiate the purchase of property required for the development, but the council is expected to use a compulsory purchase order if necessary.

The executive is being recommended to agree to negotiations starting formally, when it meets on Monday September 5, although some informal talks have already been held.

A report to the committee says: “Since the approval (through the Town Deal) for the costs of assembling the site, council officers have been in contact with the business properties fronting Cookson Street and some other properties in the proposed site and negotiations are underway.”

The report adds it may not be possible to reach agreement with all property owners “within a realistic timeframe or at all”.

This means the council must consider using compulsory purchase powers which “is a normal process in large regeneration projects.”

The proposals would see Blackpool and the Fylde College relocate the University Centre Blackpool Campus from Park Road to a new three acre site with a capacity for up to 3,000 students.

It is seen as a key next step in regeneration by transforming a rundown area and bringing additional footfall to the town centre while providing residents with opportunities to acquire new skills and qualifications.