A CHARITY that supports homeless young people is making plans to move into a new £2.3m resource centre in the centre of Blackburn within weeks.

Plans to transform the derelict former Star and Garter pub in the Boulevard into a community resource centre are nearly complete.

Charity Nightsafe, one of the building’s new occupants, have now been given a tour of the building and expect to move in in September.

The new building will mean the charity will be able to provide young people with individual bedrooms for the first time.

The current Blackburn Nightsafe service, in a terraced property two minutes from the Boulevard, accommodates 200 young homeless people annually but is said to be too small and in poor condition.

Operations manager Linda Shorrock said: “At the moment we only have two bedrooms, one with three beds and another with four.

"We have to separate the rooms into male or female so sometimes that means having to turn away a young man or woman.

“As well as the individual rooms being more efficient, it means youngsters don’t have to share with strangers, which is a concern.

"We have toured the building and we are really excited about the move.”

The new resource centre will also be an office base and interview space for the Nightsafe charity workers, the council’s Young People’s Housing Team and the Teenage Parents Team plus Blackburn CVS.

The development is a project by Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackburn with Darwen Community Voluntary Service and Blackburn Nightsafe.