Big tick for multi-million-pound new Skills and Cyber Campus in Blackburn

Ambitious plans have been passed for a Skills and Cyber Campus of national significance in Blackburn.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Planning Committee last night voted to support an application for the first phase of the works, comprising a new contemporary building with landscaping and public space.

The development has been ear-marked for the former Blackburn Market site in Brown Street and is part of the £250m Blackburn Town Centre Masterplan – a blueprint for future town centre development by BDP to transform that whole area, including the land where the Thwaites brewery historically stood.

The successful application – submitted by Maple Grove Blackburn, a joint venture between Maple Grove Developments and the Council – also secured outline planning permission for a second building – both being very similar in design to those within the neighbouring, award-winning Cathedral Quarter development.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has already successfully secured £20m of Government Funding towards the scheme – which has now been re-confirmed by the new Labour Government – and is in talks with UCLAN for its training company, Training 2000 (T2000), to expand and re-locate to the first building.

Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Phil Riley, said: ‘’It’s terrific news that this planning application has been given the green light.

‘’It really is a win, win for the borough – this development will help transform that whole area of the town, attracting thousands of learners every year and helping to support the businesses there.

‘’And learners will also benefit from the very best, state-of-art facilities too – it doesn’t get better than that.

‘’We’re also really pleased that the new Government has re-confirmed the £20m of funding that was pledged for the project – in the same week that the Lancashire Devolution Deal has also been passed too.

‘’We now look forward to advancing our plans with UCLAN to re-locate and expand their Training 2000 offer here – as we’ve said before, what an opportunity this is.’’

The masterplan is part of the Council’s impressive £1bn vision for the future – delivering on its commitment to create a more prosperous borough where no-one is left behind.

It’s the anchor of a wider Blackburn Growth Axis with the ability to support 100,000 jobs across the borough – positioning it as an important, regional economic centre.

David Taylor, Chairman of Training 2000, said: ‘’The Skills and Cyber Campus represents a great opportunity for both UCLAN and T2000 to expand their offer in East Lancashire.

‘’Although discussions are at an early stage, they represent an exciting opportunity for Training 2000.’’

Also part of the Blackburn Business Innovation District – where the new development will be based – is St John’s Church with planning permission secured to transform the fire-hit building into an Innovation Hub – works are proposed to commence there in 2025 too.

Linked to the neighbouring The Making Rooms and Blackburn College’s already strong cyber capabilities, it’s part of the Council’s drive to unlock opportunities at the neighbouring Salmesbury Enterprise Zone and the AMRC Innovation Centre as well as the opportunities that the re-location of the National Cyber HQ could bring.

The vision being to grow the supply chain in the digital and cyber sector in Blackburn with Darwen.

Nick Hague, Project Director for Maple Grove Developments, added: ‘’We’ve been working in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council for a number of years and are delighted to be supporting them in bringing forward this hugely ambitious and exciting project.

‘’The two new buildings, along with the fantastic public realm and landscaping, will transform this key gateway site into a world-class education and commercial quarter, supporting the wider regeneration plans for the town centre.

‘’The buildings will provide flexibility to the occupants, allowing them to adapt over time, responding to the ever changing business and academic world we live in.’’

The Council will now appoint a team to progress detailed designs for the development with advanced highway and enabling works planned to commence early 2025 with the main construction works expected to follow later next year with a view to the building opening in 2027.