Ambitious plans for Blackpool's ex-DWP site Warbreck House revealed by owners - including new homes and shops
The owners of the Warbreck House site in Bispham site have outlined ambitious proposals for the land - including, housing, shops and a playpark.
The hulking, fire-ravaged Warbreck House building on the outskirts of Bispham was formerly the work base for almost 3,000 civil servants employed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
They will relocate to a swish new office in the centre of Blackpool, as part of the resort’s redevelopment project, once they are ready to move into. Currently they are in other Fylde coast centees, including Peel Park.
And after the 250,000 sq ft building was vacated it became a magnet for vandals, culminating in a huge blaze there on June 7 this year, the cause of which is still under investigation.
This week a spokesman for owner Pipesafe, a London-based property development company linked to high-profile property tycoon Robert Tchenguiz, said it had ambitious plans for 20-plus acre site.
He said: “Alongside new housing, new shops and cafes, a playpark, childcare facilities and a medical clinic, our proposals include powering the whole site with lower cost electricity.
“We’ll make any electricity surplus available to local residents in the adjoining communities at the same lower cost too.”
A formal planning application for these proposals had not yet been submitted to Blackpool planners, he said.