Work is set to start on Multiversity project

Work to build a new world class higher education campus in Blackpool town centre is set to start.

The Multiversity campus for Blackpool and The Fylde College will bring up to 3,000 students and staff into an inspiring and aspirational new learning environment on Cookson Street.

Demolition and clearance of the site will take place in phases over the next nine months, preparing it for construction to start next year.

Demolition of the first houses at the corner of Grosvenor Street, Milbourne Street and Charles Street will start in the coming weeks.

Coun Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: “The Multiversity is a major part of our plans to make Blackpool better, replacing the very poor housing and benefiting the area and town centre.

“The creation of a new college campus with thousands of students will not only brighten up the area considerably, but it will provide a massive economic boost to the town centre and create more jobs for Blackpool people.

“In addition to the DWP office which opened this year, and the new government office being built on Talbot Road, this is bringing over 8,000 people into Blackpool town centre.”

Alun Francis, chief executive of Blackpool & The Fylde College, said: “It’s really exciting to see the preparatory works for the Multiversity getting underway.

“This project will regenerate a strategically important part of Blackpool town centre – and it will also launch a new model for delivering more flexible higher education that is better aligned to ‘real world’ market intelligence and student demand.

"The Multiversity will ultimately provide a range of new routes for learners that will boost local opportunities, social mobility and lead to highly skilled occupations that meet regional needs.”

It comes after Lancashire Business View reported in February that an independent inspector granted Blackpool Council compulsory purchase powers. 

The Multiversity will include five floors of education space to deliver more than 70 individual courses and enhance the college’s existing higher education provision which is directly linked to local employment needs.

It will also support a wide range of qualifications, from further education, through to higher education and adult learning.

Manchester based Morgan Sindall Construction will manage the demolition and build, but has committed to Blackpool Council’s policy of ensuring local workers and subcontractors are used as much as possible.

Steven Gregory, North West area director for Morgan Sindall, said: “Starting work on the Multiversity Campus marks a major step forward in delivering transformative benefits for Blackpool’s residents and town centre.  

“This landmark development will open up new pathways to advanced skills and help drive wider regeneration in the heart of the town. As construction gets underway, the Morgan Sindall team remains focused on working with local partners to help generate lasting social and economic value throughout the build programme.”

In addition to the first phase Multiversity campus, a second phase on the site will allow expansion space for the college’s future plans which are in development. In the short term, the space will be used as a temporary car park.

Avison Young have led as the planning consultants for the Multiversity, along with architects Hawkins\Brown and advisers CBRE.

The Multiversity makes up 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.

A new 4 star 144-bedroom Holiday Inn hotel and Marco Pierre White New York Italian restaurant opened last year, alongside a tram-train interchange linking to Blackpool Promenade.

A new town centre office for the Department of Works and Pensions has brought over 3,000 government workers into a new office opposite the Multiversity site, while construction has started on a new government office building for an additional 1,100 employees. Plans for another multi-storey car park on King Street are expected to be submitted this year.

The land for the new Multiversity is being acquired with the support of a £9m Government grant, while the construction was also awarded £40m from UK Government in 2023.

 During the works Charles Street will be closed between Cookson Street and Grosvenor Street.

George Street will remain open in both directions, however lane closures will be required later in the year. When construction work starts, George Street will close permanently.

To aid traffic flow and provide safer routes for pedestrians around the Multiversity site and Talbot Gateway, a number of improvements will be installed over the next 12 months. This will be funded by the UK Government as part of the £5.6m Town Centre Access Scheme.

These works will include:

• Improving the traffic light signal junctions on Caunce Street
• Updating the road layout on Grosvenor Street to enable two-way traffic flow
• Installing new pedestrian crossings on Cookson Street and Grosvenor Street
• Creating a lay-by on Cookson Street for drop offs/pick ups
• Introducing a right turn from Cookson Street onto Deansgate

Demolition of the remaining site will continue into next year, and is scheduled to take place in phases across the site.

The vast majority of properties in the area have now been bought by Blackpool Council, using funding from the UK Government.

The remaining properties are expected to transfer into the council’s ownership this summer and few remaining residents living in the area are being offered support to find somewhere suitable to live.