Premier Inn hope for Blackburn Cathedral Quarter

4:00pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Vanessa Cornall, Crime reporter

BLACKBURN’S first-ever town centre hotel could be a 56-bed Premier Inn, hotel bosses said.

News of the potential development comes as part of the £30m regeneration plan for the Cathedral Quarter.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is currently in negotiations with the low-cost chain, which has even taken the step of advertising its licensing requirements on the site.

Despite plans being in the early stages, Premier Inn bosses said the hotel would have at least 56 beds, to match their smallest scheme in Kidderminster, but it could possibly have more.

The hotel will be based next to the Clergy court residency within the Cathedral grounds, council bosses said.

A Premier Inn spokesman, said: “Premier Inn is actively looking for 6m sq ft of new space across the UK as we expand from the 52,000 Premier Inn bedrooms today to our target of 65,000 by 2016.

“Blackburn is a town we want to be in, and we are looking at a number of opportunities in the town, including the Cathedral Quarter redevelopment.”

As well as creating the town’s first-ever town centre hotel, the development will transform the Boulevard and see the construction of a new bus station in Ainsworth Street.

Council bosses said the development will complement the new £66m Mall shopping centre and £8m new market.

It would be the second development for the company in the town, which already has a hotel in Riversway Drive, Lower Darwen.

Coun Dave Harling, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for regeneration, said: “Work on the Cathedral Quarter development is set to start later this year as part of a major £30m invest-ment in regeneration projects in the town centre.

“Work will start on site in the late summer. The first phase is the construction of an office with retail space underneath.

“The Clergy court residency and the hotel, to be based on the Cathedral grounds, will follow, as well as some public realm works. The Boulevard will be closed off first to accommodate the start of the development, as well as the construction of the new bus station.

“Negotiations are advanced with a hotel chain and details will be announced in due course.”

Comments (16)

6:13pm Wed 20 Mar 13

spike t says...

First ever town centre hotel in Blackburn's history?
First ever town centre hotel in Blackburn's history? spike t

6:29pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Stone Island: says...

Never stayed in a Premier Inn, so don't know if they have restaurants that offer good food in the evenings. They'll need one, because if the guests fancy anything other than a curry or a kebab, they're going to be in for a shock, because I can't think of one decent restaurant in the town centre at the moment. Maybe they plan to build some of those too. They could certainly do with some.
Never stayed in a Premier Inn, so don't know if they have restaurants that offer good food in the evenings. They'll need one, because if the guests fancy anything other than a curry or a kebab, they're going to be in for a shock, because I can't think of one decent restaurant in the town centre at the moment. Maybe they plan to build some of those too. They could certainly do with some. Stone Island:

7:22pm Wed 20 Mar 13

s_smith says...

Frankie and Bennys as well as Nando's are both fine establishments and the food is quite nice.

However it would be helpful if the accessibility between the leisure park and the town centre could be improved. The rear entrance to the station isnt the most inviting.
Frankie and Bennys as well as Nando's are both fine establishments and the food is quite nice. However it would be helpful if the accessibility between the leisure park and the town centre could be improved. The rear entrance to the station isnt the most inviting. s_smith

8:14pm Wed 20 Mar 13

sean_brfc says...

Calypso is excellent, Stone. Give it a try.
Calypso is excellent, Stone. Give it a try. sean_brfc

8:31pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Stone Island: says...

sean_brfc wrote:
Calypso is excellent, Stone. Give it a try.
I frequent Mr Wilson's place on a regular basis. I just don't really class it as the town centre. It does feel a little strange going in there though, because I used to drink in that area when I was a lad. Old place hasn't changed much.
I particularly like the Red Snapper in there.
[quote][p][bold]sean_brfc[/bold] wrote: Calypso is excellent, Stone. Give it a try.[/p][/quote]I frequent Mr Wilson's place on a regular basis. I just don't really class it as the town centre. It does feel a little strange going in there though, because I used to drink in that area when I was a lad. Old place hasn't changed much. I particularly like the Red Snapper in there. Stone Island:

8:52pm Wed 20 Mar 13

indiana patel says...

Blackburn is behind other large towns the only town in UK that doesn't have a town centre hotel.Bolton Preston Blackpool Lancaster all have town centre hotels.We have to wait another two years for the new Bus Station at Ainsworth Street and it was six years and the Orbital road on Montague Street to Bolton Road is still not completed.The Cathedral project will take another six years to complete.Preston got the city status cause Preston is 20 years ahead of Blackburn in hotels, leisure, retail and road projects.
What has Blackburn got to offer to any visitors a Mall shopping centre which still have many empty shop units and didn't attract many big name stores like Preston.Retail park in Blackburn don't offer much like Preston where is Toys R us, DFS,Ikea while Preston is the retail capital of Lancashire. Blackburn has only the Cathedral and King George's Hall .
Blackburn is behind other large towns the only town in UK that doesn't have a town centre hotel.Bolton Preston Blackpool Lancaster all have town centre hotels.We have to wait another two years for the new Bus Station at Ainsworth Street and it was six years and the Orbital road on Montague Street to Bolton Road is still not completed.The Cathedral project will take another six years to complete.Preston got the city status cause Preston is 20 years ahead of Blackburn in hotels, leisure, retail and road projects. What has Blackburn got to offer to any visitors a Mall shopping centre which still have many empty shop units and didn't attract many big name stores like Preston.Retail park in Blackburn don't offer much like Preston where is Toys R us, DFS,Ikea while Preston is the retail capital of Lancashire. Blackburn has only the Cathedral and King George's Hall . indiana patel

10:18pm Wed 20 Mar 13

2 for 5p says...

Hey small guest houses, this place will give you a run for your money. :-)
Hey small guest houses, this place will give you a run for your money. :-) 2 for 5p

10:35pm Wed 20 Mar 13

soap opera says...

it will fit in well with the devonshire hotel and the islington on bolton rd.and if there full people could always stop at cherry tree lodge near the royal mail on canterbury stt
it will fit in well with the devonshire hotel and the islington on bolton rd.and if there full people could always stop at cherry tree lodge near the royal mail on canterbury stt soap opera

10:44pm Wed 20 Mar 13

soap opera says...

Stone Island: wrote:
Never stayed in a Premier Inn, so don't know if they have restaurants that offer good food in the evenings. They'll need one, because if the guests fancy anything other than a curry or a kebab, they're going to be in for a shock, because I can't think of one decent restaurant in the town centre at the moment. Maybe they plan to build some of those too. They could certainly do with some.
premier in normaly have a pub/restaurant on site.doing breakfast and meals throughout the day
[quote][p][bold]Stone Island:[/bold] wrote: Never stayed in a Premier Inn, so don't know if they have restaurants that offer good food in the evenings. They'll need one, because if the guests fancy anything other than a curry or a kebab, they're going to be in for a shock, because I can't think of one decent restaurant in the town centre at the moment. Maybe they plan to build some of those too. They could certainly do with some.[/p][/quote]premier in normaly have a pub/restaurant on site.doing breakfast and meals throughout the day soap opera

10:55pm Wed 20 Mar 13

julespent says...

Why would anyone want to stay overnight in Blackburn town centre?
Why would anyone want to stay overnight in Blackburn town centre? julespent

2:16am Thu 21 Mar 13

Fire Fly says...

2 for 5p wrote:
Hey small guest houses, this place will give you a run for your money. :-)
10.18pm is way past your bedtime!
[quote][p][bold]2 for 5p[/bold] wrote: Hey small guest houses, this place will give you a run for your money. :-)[/p][/quote]10.18pm is way past your bedtime! Fire Fly

2:29am Thu 21 Mar 13

Carl_24 says...

Who the hell would want to stop in a hotel in Blackburn???

There's no attractions here for tourists.
Who the hell would want to stop in a hotel in Blackburn??? There's no attractions here for tourists. Carl_24

8:44am Thu 21 Mar 13

Yankee Clipper says...

If the deal with Premier Inn is successfully negotiated, it will be very good for both the Cathedral Quarter and the town as a whole. It's an idea which actually makes plenty of good sense. It is quite appalling and speaks volumes that Blackburn has not been able to entice a national brand hotel chain until now. As an alternative, I always felt that the Blackburn Magistrates Court (which has been on the sales market for a number of years) would be ideally suited for conversion into a hotel, with the adjacent King George's Hall used as the hotel's conference centre. The former London County Hall (across Westminster Bridge from the Houses of Parliament, and next to the London Eye) was converted into two side-by-side hotels; a Premier Inn and a more-upscale Marriott Hotel.

The usual band of naysayers can make their typical jokes, but this is actually a plan that we should get behind and support. What will work in its favour is that it's associated with the Cathedral (despite the borough council trying to take all of the credit for themselves).
If the deal with Premier Inn is successfully negotiated, it will be very good for both the Cathedral Quarter and the town as a whole. It's an idea which actually makes plenty of good sense. It is quite appalling and speaks volumes that Blackburn has not been able to entice a national brand hotel chain until now. As an alternative, I always felt that the Blackburn Magistrates Court (which has been on the sales market for a number of years) would be ideally suited for conversion into a hotel, with the adjacent King George's Hall used as the hotel's conference centre. The former London County Hall (across Westminster Bridge from the Houses of Parliament, and next to the London Eye) was converted into two side-by-side hotels; a Premier Inn and a more-upscale Marriott Hotel. The usual band of naysayers can make their typical jokes, but this is actually a plan that we should get behind and support. What will work in its favour is that it's associated with the Cathedral (despite the borough council trying to take all of the credit for themselves). Yankee Clipper

9:09am Thu 21 Mar 13

Excluded again says...

Who would want to stop in Blackburn Town Centre? Well, people who have overnight work trips, people wanting to stay overnight to go to Rovers, people with family in the area up for, say, a wedding at the Cathedral.

Premier Inns' market is mainly not tourism. It's people wanting short one or two nights stay.
Who would want to stop in Blackburn Town Centre? Well, people who have overnight work trips, people wanting to stay overnight to go to Rovers, people with family in the area up for, say, a wedding at the Cathedral. Premier Inns' market is mainly not tourism. It's people wanting short one or two nights stay. Excluded again

10:04am Thu 21 Mar 13

Yankee Clipper says...

Excluded again wrote:
Who would want to stop in Blackburn Town Centre? Well, people who have overnight work trips, people wanting to stay overnight to go to Rovers, people with family in the area up for, say, a wedding at the Cathedral.

Premier Inns' market is mainly not tourism. It's people wanting short one or two nights stay.
Exactly!
[quote][p][bold]Excluded again[/bold] wrote: Who would want to stop in Blackburn Town Centre? Well, people who have overnight work trips, people wanting to stay overnight to go to Rovers, people with family in the area up for, say, a wedding at the Cathedral. Premier Inns' market is mainly not tourism. It's people wanting short one or two nights stay.[/p][/quote]Exactly! Yankee Clipper

11:30am Thu 21 Mar 13

vicn1956 says...

"Romeo oh Romeo."
I thinlk it will rather more basic than that.
"Romeo oh Romeo." I thinlk it will rather more basic than that. vicn1956

Comments are closed on this article.

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree