Massive £65m Multiversity project all action as construction starts on new Blackpool & the Fylde College site
“This marks another major milestone for the town.”
Construction has now started on the new Multiversity campus, with representatives from all key stakeholders joining together on site to mark another major milestone in the transformation of the town centre.
Work is now underway on the new campus for Blackpool and The Fylde College, following approval of an updated planning application earlier this year, which will bring 3,000 students, apprentices and staff into the heart of Blackpool when it opens its doors in September 2028.
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The 115,000 sq. ft. educational space will create a modern, inspiring and aspirational new learning environment in the town centre, helping position Blackpool as a centre for education, skills and opportunity.
As part of the development, George Street has now closed to traffic ready to be transformed into a public realm space once construction is complete, supporting our wider commitment to regenerate the Talbot Gateway area and create a more attractive, accessible town centre.
What will the Multiversity bring?
The Multiversity will provide five floors of learning space, delivering more than 70 courses and enhancing the college’s existing higher education offer. The flexible courses will provide skills directly linked to local employment needs, helping to develop a skilled workforce and supporting local people into local careers.
The campus will also offer a wide range of qualifications, from further education, through to higher education and adult learning. Construction is being delivered by North West contractor Morgan Sindall Construction, who previously completed the demolition and site clearance works.
Second phase
In addition to the Multiversity campus, a second phase on the site will provide opportunities for the college’s future expansion as plans are in development to form a wider skills and education campus, which has been identified as a key transformational priority within the recently published Lancashire Growth Plan. In the short term, this area will be used as a temporary car park.
The land for the new Multiversity has been acquired with the support of a £9m Government grant as part of Blackpool’s Town Deal programme, while the construction was also awarded £40m from UK Government in 2023. Both funds have now been combined into a single funding pot known as the Local Regeneration Fund.
The Multiversity forms phase four of Blackpool Council’s £350m regeneration of the Talbot Gateway area around Blackpool North train station, which in total is bringing over 8,000 professional workers and students into the area.
The area has already seen major development over recent years including a 4 star Holiday Inn hotel and restaurant, improved transport interchange and a new town centre office for the Department of Works and Pensions, with a new government office building for 1,100 staff due to open next year.
A number of highways improvements will also be installed over the next 12 months to aid traffic flow and provide safer routes for pedestrians around the Multiversity site and Talbot Gateway, including improved traffic signal junctions, updated road layouts and new pedestrian crossings.
These works will be part funded by the UK Government through the £17m Town Centre Access Scheme.