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Empty building will not stop Blackburn link road, vows councillor

4:57pm Friday 14th November 2008


BLACKBURN’S new link road will become a reality, a leading councillor has insisted.

This week the Lancashire Telegraph revealed the planning application for the dual carriageway had been withdrawn, with a battle looming with English Heritage over a listed building in King Street.

If it gets the go ahead, the road will connect the £12million Wainwright Bridge with Montague Street.

Critics said the route of the road should have been cleared before the costly bridge was built.

They said that if the battle with English Heritage was lost, it would be a ‘bridge to nowhere’.

Tory Coun Mike Lee, who will take over as council leader at the end of the year, said: “I think it will still go on that route.

"Obviously we have to go back to English Heritage, but I can’t see how a building that stood empty for 30 years before we took it over could prevent this vital road.”


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Brian Todd, Blackburn says...
5:12pm Fri 14 Nov 08

Has Councillor Lee no belief in his, and our, Heritage?
Buildings do not get listed at random.
There was some form of assessment made before agreeing to this Graded listing. As to the 30 years emptythat is the fault of Lancashire County Council and subsequently Blackburn wtih Darwen Borough Council for not nmaking use of the building or at minimum making sure it was weatherporrf.
This is the way in which our council demonsrated its value of "heritage" fro over 30 years and now complian that it has sttod empty. In teh past this was, as far as I am aware what RAchman did to get his way. Are our Borough Council the Rachman of the 21st Century?

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Joe Smith, Blackburn says...
5:52pm Fri 14 Nov 08

The Council know the way the road was going years ago so left the house in a state of disrepair to give them a resion to pull it down.

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M.DANNY, kirklees says...
5:59pm Fri 14 Nov 08

Blackburn regeneration programme is going full steam ahead,this orbital route is vital for town's economy so it is important the final link to the new bridge is completed sooner than later,the shopping centre is finally started,plans for hotels and apartments is very important for Blackburn's for future city bid as we lost out to Preston.A building that stood empty for thirty years is a building not worth saving ,progress is halted once again by pressure groups who have no interest in Blackburn town centre regenenration programmes same as the environmental pressure groups who planned to stop the vital M65 link with M6 and M61.

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The silver fox, Lammack, Blackburn says...
6:07pm Fri 14 Nov 08

I am at a loss to understand mr Todd and his ilk, this road is vital to the future of our economy like it or not. As nice a building as it may once have been this building is an eyesore. There are plenty of buildings being restored on king st and church street but this one needs to make way if we are to have a vibrant town centre

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gazdula, Darwen says...
6:37pm Fri 14 Nov 08

All in favour of keeping British heritage but one building needs to be lost for a hugh gain, its a fact.

I also like to make the point that these people from the heritage don't even live in the local area and don't even pay Council tax for the local area.

So why are they having a say in the issues that affect local people???

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halcyondaze, Lancashire says...
9:04pm Fri 14 Nov 08

Capita & Ron Alldridge need to be told where to go. They're the ones that are raping the cash from the council with constantly crap projects.
NOT ONE project has been a success -Can you believe they actually won an award for Church St Pavillions!
The sooner Blackburn realises it will NEVER be a city like preston the better. Stop chasing the dream and work with what we've got. The only way out is to piggy back on Manchester & Preston and for that improved rail/bus links to those areas are essential.
A new streight section of dual carriegway with a few nice hedges is NOT going to transform Blckburn.


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Brian Todd, Blackburn says...
10:08am Sat 15 Nov 08

Just to respond to "The Silver Fox"
As I understand it there were, and stil are, three options for this link road to the bridge. Only one of the three options affected a listed building and this was the one selected. There are still two other options, which were suggested, for the 1/2 Ring road and I would expect the council to be examining the two options which were also suggested some time ago and agree on the best of these.

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Theo, Ramsgreave says...
10:55am Sat 15 Nov 08

Knock it down. How can a empty building stand in the way of our towns progress. If they care about the building then they should be using it and not let it stand empty.Councellor Lee (or Rossy as he was known) should stand firm and press on with this road.

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Joe Smith, Blackburn says...
12:23pm Sat 15 Nov 08

Yes Brian Todd there are two other options to the one decided on, and the one to the right coming down Montague St, would probably miss the St Peters grave yard and also the newly discovered grave yard on Chapel St, but the Councils problem his they have now purchased the land belonging to Byrom Supplies, there by committing then self to the direct root, mind you evon with out a new bit of road the traffic his running quite smothly in that area, ln the mean time l wait with great interest for the out come. just an after thought if a private person tried to knock a listed building down or alter it externally in any way the council would move heaven and earth to stop them evon to the point of dragging them into court.

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andrewb, blackburn says...
7:26pm Sat 15 Nov 08

the old pub at the corner of king street and Freckleton street was also listed and falling apart and been done now and that looks good,

so why cannot this building be restored.

Anyone seen the plans for the new bus lane on Preston Old road running from St Francis road to Grant Road. why not just two normal lanes.


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ROAD VOW: Coun Lee ROAD VOW: Coun Lee


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