Blackpool's civil service hub hits construction milestone

A civil service hub which will sit at the heart of Blackpool and house more than 3,000 employees is beginning to take shape as the façades are now being installed.

The £100m, seven-storey Civil Service Hub is part of the Talbot Gateway development close to Blackpool North train station.

The terracotta faced ultra-high strength concrete façade panels, which are highly sustainable and help reduce the building’s embodied carbon, will feature across the exterior of the building and create an impressive Art Deco appearance.

The Civil Service Hub will see over 3,000 government workers relocating to Blackpool town centre when it completes in 2025, supporting the wider £350m redevelopment of the area which also involves new Grade A offices, a hotel and transport interchange and a new Multiversity campus.

The site, which will include a new town centre square with cycle and pedestrian routes, is within walking distance of the new tram interchange at Blackpool North Station, promoting more sustainable travel routes.

Once complete, the Civil Service Hub will support Blackpool Council’s ambitions to rejuvenate the town centre economy by introducing high-quality offices that will create and protect local jobs, drive footfall and breathe new life into the town centre economy. 

Coun Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Not only is the Civil Service Hub changing the skyline of Blackpool, but the potential impact on the local economy of bringing over 3,000 more professional workers into the town centre is a key part of our plans to make Blackpool better.

“This will be another high-quality office building that brings people into the town centre. For local people and businesses in the surrounding areas, there is a real opportunity to benefit from having that volume of workers on their doorstep.

“This office is only one element of the wider regeneration we have at the Talbot Gateway, with the Holiday Inn hotel and Marco Pierre White restaurant set to open next year along with the tram extension to the train station, and our plans to bring up to 3,000 staff and students into the area as part of the Multiversity campus.” 

The long-standing partnership between Muse and Blackpool Council, has already delivered the 125,000 sq ft Number One Bickerstaffe Square council office, a Sainsbury’s supermarket and a refurbished 650-space multi-storey car park, alongside extensive public spaces for the community to enjoy.

Alan McBride, technical director at Muse, said: “We have reached a wonderfully visual milestone in Talbot Gateway’s regeneration, with the terracotta panels in particular emphasising how we’re creating a brighter Blackpool while being sympathetic to the town’s rich cultural heritage.

“The new Civil Service Hub will provide a highly sustainable workspace for the benefit of local people and the wider community, while also creating welcoming public spaces for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to see the positive impact this will have as we create a Blackpool that’s fit for the future.”