£45m office development would 'bring 1,000 more workers to Blackpool'

Shelagh Parkinson

31 May 2024 at 10:11 am·2-min read

Proposals have been revealed for another office block to be built in Blackpool town centre – with plans submitted for a £45m six-storey building.

The scheme would see the site of the former Apollo 2000 store on Talbot Road developed, bringing more than 1,000 additional workers into the town centre. Blackpool Council and its development partner Muse are said to be in advanced discussions with an organisation wanting to develop and occupy the site.

They would not disclose who it is but application documents say the scheme would bring ‘high skilled jobs on behalf of the proposed Government body”, suggesting they could be civil service jobs. Currently, work is under way to build a £100m office block on nearby Cookson Street which will house more than 3,000 civil servants and is expected to open in 2025.

The office earmarked for the Apollo site would be the fifth phase of the £350m Talbot Gateway development, which is bringing more than 8,000 workers and students into Blackpool town centre.

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Coun Mark Smith, cabinet member for levelling up (place) at Blackpool Council, said: “This is another major step forward in our plans to make Blackpool better and boost our local economy. The area around the train station was previously a desolate area in desperate need of regeneration.

“Over the last 10 years we have regenerated it into a desirable location for businesses looking for quality office space on the Fylde coast. Our initial ambition and investment to build the earlier phases of the Talbot Gateway has led us to be in this position where more organisations are approaching us to help them move their jobs into the town centre.

“In turn, that has a huge potential for the private sector to continue to invest in Blackpool, creating more opportunities for business and creating more year-round, well-paid jobs for local people.”

Alan McBride, technical director at Muse, said: “The fifth phase of Talbot Gateway will provide a further catalyst for Blackpool’s renaissance, helping to spur additional economic growth in the town by delivering yet more future-proofed workspace to benefit business in the region.

“Our long-standing partnership with Blackpool Council has already played a pivotal role in the regeneration of the town, and this development would mark yet another notable staging point on the journey towards reframing this iconic seaside destination.”

Phase one, including new Grade A offices, Sainsbury’s supermarket and an upgraded 650-space multi-storey car park, was completed in 2014. Phase two, a new 144-bed Holiday Inn hotel and Marco Pierre White New York Italian restaurant opened on May 1 this year. A tramway extension, interchange with the train station and surrounding retail units are due to open next month.

Planning consent has been granted for a Multiversity campus for Blackpool and the Fylde College in phase four, bringing up to 3,000 more students and staff into the area.

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