£65m Multiversity set to progress after award of compulsory purchase powers

An independent inspector has granted Blackpool Council compulsory purchase powers to drive through its plans for a new £65m town centre campus for Blackpool & the Fylde College, with work expected to start this summer.

The new Multiversity campus will bring up to 3,000 students and staff into Blackpool town centre and is hoped to open in late 2027.

The decision from the independent planning inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, follows a two-week public inquiry at the end of last year, where submissions were made by the council and Blackpool and the Fylde College, as well as local residents and land owners.

Over the past two years Blackpool Council has been buying properties through negotiation, with more than 80% of the required 72 properties already acquired.

Red lined area shows Multiversity footprint

The inspector’s decision allows Blackpool Council to use compulsory purchase powers to secure the remaining properties in the area surrounded by Cookson Street, George Street, Grosvenor Street and Milbourne Street.

The council will continue to negotiate with owners of the remaining properties to agree the compensation to be paid.

However, the council will use the compulsory purchase powers to enable construction of the Multiversity to start in the summer.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “The Multiversity is a major part of our plans to make Blackpool better, by bringing thousands of students into the town centre, creating a more vibrant town centre economy and jobs for local people.

“Over the last two years, our staff have worked exceptionally hard to buy properties and support the people who have had to move house as a result.

“There are some properties where we haven’t been able to agree a price so far with the owners and the compulsory purchase order process means they would be independently valued to determine a final price if we are unable to reach agreement.”

She added: “Throughout the process, we have aimed to be as understanding and supportive as possible to any residents who have had to move home as a result of the scheme. That support continues to be in place, and if anybody is concerned then they can contact us for help.”

Outline planning approval for the whole Multiversity site was granted in 2024, with a decision on a reserved matters planning application for the first phase of the Multiversity expected this spring.

The 115,000 sq ft building 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.

CGI of Blackpool Multiversity

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

The building itself is expected to be carbon neutral in operation, with solar panels on the roof of the building, and heated by sustainable air source heat pumps. A green roof terrace at the south of the building will also allow students to both study and relax in a landscaped environment.

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 has led as the planning consultant for the Multiversity, along with architects Hawkins\Brown and advisers CBRE.

Blackpool Council has also appointed Morgan Sindall Construction as the main contractors on a pre-contact services agreement.

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 more than 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 in May, while a tram-train interchange linking to Blackpool Promenade opened in June.

A new town centre office for the Department of Works and Pensions will bring more than 3,000 government workers into a new office on King Street this spring, while full planning permission has been granted for a new £45m, 52,950 sq ft office off Talbot Road which would be home to in excess of 1,000 employees.

Plans for a new multi-storey car park off Church Street are expected to be submitted later this year.

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