Blackburn’s ambitious £28million Cathedral Quarter plans take step forward

11:27am Friday 14th December 2012 in Blackburn Photograph of the Author By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter

PLANS Blackburn Cathedral PLANS Blackburn Cathedral

THE development of Blackburn’s ambitious £28million Cathedral Quarter is set for a major step forward next week.

Councillors are recommended to approve proposals to provide a complex including a hotel, the first clergy court and cloister garden for a major Church building for 570 years, restaurants shops, public square and bus interchange next to the railways station next week.

Officials have told Blackburn with Darwen planning committee to give the scheme the green light despite objections to moving the Queen Victoria Statue from the Boulevard and the demolition of 20th Century Jubilee House.

The project is a key part of the transformation of the Boulevard and west of the town centre after the construction of The Mall shopping centre and new market and plans for a £5million new bus station in Ainsworth Street.

Three applications for the 118,000 square foot project, including conservation area and listed building demolition consent, are recommended for approval at the plan- ning committee meeting on Thursday.

They involve relocating the statue, which has been objected to by the Victorian Society, and demolishing Jubilee House causing an objection from the 20th Century Society. Victorian St Mary’s House will also be knocked down.

Council regeneration boss Dave Harling said: “If approved, it will be another step towards the completion of an ambitious 15-year plan, which has already seen massive investment in the regeneration of the town centre, and will result in about 350 jobs. This will be something we can all be proud of.”

Cathedral Canon Andrew Hindley said: “The achievement of planning permission will be another milestone. The scheme will cement the cathedral’s status as the architectural jewel in Blackburn’s crown.”

The development will see relocation of the war memorial and gravestones next to St Mary’s House, a new car park, and the strengthening of the River Blakewater Culvert is due for completion in 2015.

Comments(8)

A Darener says...
1:42pm Fri 14 Dec 12

Blackburn’s ambitious £28million Cathedral Quarter plans take step forward''
And the Boulevard bus terminal takes three steps back!

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jimpy0 says...
2:14pm Fri 14 Dec 12

more destruction of nearly a century of history by this **** wasteful council 28+ million which should have been better spent elsewhere. If the church wanted this then they should foot the bill, this is a northern working town not some fancy £200 a night hotel hotspot ............... just another scrote congregation point, as for moving VICTORIA !!!!!!!

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ricksh says...
2:17pm Fri 14 Dec 12

jimpy0 wrote:
more destruction of nearly a century of history by this **** wasteful council 28+ million which should have been better spent elsewhere. If the church wanted this then they should foot the bill, this is a northern working town not some fancy £200 a night hotel hotspot ............... just another scrote congregation point, as for moving VICTORIA !!!!!!!
its the cathedral paying for all of this

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Noiticer says...
3:58pm Fri 14 Dec 12

Can't think of another town in Europe which would be so foolish as to separate a bus station from a railway station. The planners (who probably never use this public transport hub) have finally got their way having been trying for thirty years to my knowledge. Where is the Department of Transport in all this which is supposed to be encouraging integration of public transport. Shame on BwDBC!

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cathedral citi says...
4:15pm Fri 14 Dec 12

Noiticer wrote:
Can't think of another town in Europe which would be so foolish as to separate a bus station from a railway station. The planners (who probably never use this public transport hub) have finally got their way having been trying for thirty years to my knowledge. Where is the Department of Transport in all this which is supposed to be encouraging integration of public transport. Shame on BwDBC!
I understand somewhat, your concern, regarding the moving of the main bus terminal to the new site on ainsworth street. But I believe a sensible compromise has been reached, in that, a smaller bus station is going to be built immediately outside the railway station, with most buses calling at BOTH bus stations.

More people come into town to do shopping, therefore it makes more sense to have the main bus station in the hear of the shopping area.

I think the compromise plan in having the main bus station on sinsworth street, and a smaller bus station outside the railway station, with most buses calling at both stations, is a sensible compromise, don't you?

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Noiticer says...
6:28pm Fri 14 Dec 12

I doubt if all those buses which currently use the Boulevard will be physically able to call at the smaller bus interchange and the suggestion that they will is merely a sop to get this development passed. We all know it's about the Cathedral authorities' desire to commercially exploit the Boulevard area. It's certainly not about promoting integrated public transport something the UK is abyssmal at compared to cities in many parts of Europe. The town is taking a step backwards in transport terms and one day will come to regret it. Meanwhile the Cathedral authorities will probably be rubbing their hands at the prospect of all the cash coming into their coffers.

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BlackburnBadger says...
7:16pm Sun 16 Dec 12

A brilliant scheme and great that £28M is being invested in Blackburn town centre. What does shock me is the amount of people that try and find flaws with development and investment, firstly a hotel is much needed in Blackburn referring to Jimpy's comment it won't be a £200 a night hotel it will be a travel lodge or premier inn which are in demand and will create jobs. To the people that are saying why don't the cathedral paying for this, if you read the paper you would realise they are, they also own the boulevard on which they charge the council rent unlike the market site that BwD council own, which is by the way no more than 50metres down the road from the train station whereas the local moaning population are acting as if we're moving it across the town centre, get a life and stop moaning. If you don't like Blackburn, move 8 miles down the road to Burnley where you might find something more to moan about.

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Darwen Malc says...
10:49pm Sun 16 Dec 12

As many have pointed out on here, Blackburn is gifted with a fantastic bus/rail interchange which most towns and cities would give their back teeth for.
Preston, Burnley, Bolton, Manchester, Blackpool, Leeds...the list is endless. No one is against development, it is just the way that it is done! As for the hotel, most of the budget hotels are built next to a pub/restaurant. What wil they do at the 'Bouley' - nip into Morrisons for breakfast and visit Darwen Street for a pizza or kebab in the evening?

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