Demolition threat 'giving us sleepless nights' residents tell meeting over Blackpool multiversity plans

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 for demolition to make way for a £65m multiversity.

Around 60 people gathered at The Talbot Club on Milbourne Street after Blackpool South MP Scott Benton held a public meeting to hear their concerns.

He said while he welcomed the regeneration scheme which has been allocated £49m in government grants, he was determined to help residents get the best deal for their properties.

The council received £9m as part of the Town Deal towards assembling the site for the multiversity, and hopes to negotiate with residents to buy their homes.

If talks fail to secure the full site, the council will use a compulsory purchase order to buy outstanding properties.

Another £40m has been given to the project by the Government in Levelling Up funding, while the council will borrow £16m which will be repaid by Blackpool and the Fylde College.

Mr Benton said: “There will be those who have worked all the hours they can over decades to buy their house.

“And the money they (the council) are offering you may not be enough to buy another house in Blackpool.

“I know someone who has been offered £50,000 which wouldn’t cover buying a house in South Shore for example. And as they are in their 70s and retired, they are no longer working.

“I want the funding for a multiversity, but I also want you to get the right value for your house.”

Mum-of-four Donna Taylor, of Milbourne Street, told the meeting she and her partner had been offered £70,000 for their five-bedroomed home, which includes disability adaptations for some of their children.

She said they would not be able to afford the same size of house elsewhere in Blackpool, having converted a former b&b to create their home.

She added: “Why should my kids suffer in their quality of life because the council wants to demolish my house?”

Susan Taylor, of Cookson Street, said: “I rent my property and I have been to the council’s housing office asking for help.

“But all the people who are tenants are being left in the dark. I don’t want to leave this area as I like living in the town centre where it is so convenient to reach everything.”

Bemri Abdel, said he had lived in his Cookson Street property for 16 years and did not want to leave.

He said: “Everything is local and I enjoy living in the town centre.”

Some residents said they had accepted offers for their properties as they could not face living with the uncertainty for the next six months or two years, while others were landlords concerned about finding alternative accommodation for their tenants.

Another told the meeting: “You can’t sleep at night as it’s always on your mind.”

No-one from the council attended the meeting, but afterwards a council spokesperson said support would be available for residents affected by the development.

The spokesperson said: “Whilst The multiversity will deliver many benefits for Blackpool and its residents, we recognise the process of acquiring people’s homes brings with it considerable uncertainty for owners and residents.

“It is for this reason we will be writing again next week to all properties outlining the latest position, the support available to residents, contact points and what happens next.

“No two properties are the same and will need individual discussions to address individual concerns .

“The council is prepared to negotiate over the value of properties but within the constraints of what we are legally allowed to do i.e. assess the market value, and consider disturbance, compensation and legal costs.

“It is important to state though, that the council is currently negotiating with those willing to sell now and is aiming to give people as much time as reasonably possible to resolve their individual circumstances.

“A formal compulsory purchase process is unlikely to commence until much later this year and would stretch into next year. If this were to happen plenty of notice would have to be given to anyone affected.”

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 hoped it will open in September 2026 to the first students.

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