A SECOND office complex for Blackburn's Cathedral Quarter is on the cards after it was revealed the first block's five floors of workspace have been fully let.

Agreements to lease the top two storeys of the office building opposite the Railway Station to major companies are set to bring100 jobs to the town.

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Now Blackburn with Darwen Regeneration boss Cllr Phil Riley is to start 'preliminary talks' on a second town centre office block to complement One Cathedral Square.

Borough Liberal Democrat leader Cllr David Foster welcomed the news and backed starting preparations for the second development.

Cllr John Slater, leader of the main Conservative opposition group, however urged caution and questioned the finances of both the existing block and any future counterpart.

Andrew Dewhurst of Eric Wright Group's Maple Grove Developments, which built the existing block, said the firm was 'optimistic' about future developments in Blackburn town centre.

As recently as December, questions were raised about the second block, but the latest news suggests it is now firmly back on the agenda

This week a professional services company agreed terms to let the top fifth floor and a 'big national name' has done the same for the fourth.

Both are expected to sign leases and move in 50 plus staff each this summer.

Already Capita has 70 staff on the first floor and Govnet Communications occupy half the second with the firm intention of taking the other 50 per cent taking their Blackburn workforce up to 40.

Organic Insurance has transferred 20 staff from its Trident Park base in Hyndburn and is taking the whole third floor instead of just the originally-planned half.

This leaves the restaurant and cafe spaces on the ground floor to be let to complement Cafe Northcote, Turtle Bay and Premier Inn Thyme restaurants in the £34 million Cathedral Quarter.

One Cathedral Square was finished in March 2015 and sold for £9.1 million to global investment giant Legal and General with the council underwriting the long-term rental income.

Cllr Riley said yesterday: "We have now let all the office space in the block which will have in total brought 350 well-paid jobs to Blackburn, rental income and business rates to the council and boosted the regeneration of the borough.

"We will start preliminary talks on the development of the second office block.

"With terms agreed with a professional services company and a big national name for the remaining floors, that development is now significantly closer than a year ago.

"We can now begin to explore how to finance the building of the second block and where it should be located."

Cllr Riley has previously suggested moving the location of the new offices from Railway Road opposite the Cathedral to the old market site next to the new £5million bus station.

Andrew Dewhurst, of Maple Grove Developments, said: "The speed in take up of the office space is testament to the quality of the building and the draw of Blackburn town centre.

"There is a sense of renewed optimism in the town and the success here augurs well for other planned investments across the town centre and wider borough."

Cllr Foster said: "This is great news and the demand suggests the council should press ahead with preparatory work for a second office block."

Cllr Slater said: "I am pleased One Cathedral Square has been let but I am concerned about the long-term viability of its finances.

"I would be very concerned about the financial viability of a second office block."

Harriet Roberts, manager of Blackburn Business Improvement District, said “It’s great news that One Cathedral Square is now fully occupied.

"We should continue to set high expectations and if that means more high quality office space for even more businesses we, of course, welcome that.”

Chris Knight, director of Organic Group, said "We are thrilled to have moved into One Cathedral Square the premiere office space in Lancashire with a great recruitment pool and fantastic transport links. "