Yahoo News Work begins on new ‘luxury flats’ opposite primary school
Work has begun on a major new development in Blackburn opposite a primary school.
The site, off Oakenhurst Road, has lay empty since the Montague Health Centre was demolished in November 2018.
Workers could be seen clearing and digging on the land this week. The area has also been cordoned off.
It had been used as a parking spot by people working in the town centre in recent years prior to the redevelopment work.
The area is based next to St Barnabas and St Paul’s Primary School.
In 2019, plans were announced to create flats at the site. The flats would be split into 47 one-bed and 29 two-bed apartments across five floors of the building with 56 parking spaces and a 50-space bike store.
Then, in 2022, it was decided to change some of the key elements of the development.
Proposed variations involved the application of amendments to the internal layout and external appearance of the apartment block.
(Image: Nq/LT) Workers have started digging at the site on Oakenhurst Road
An application read: “The building is to be operated by the applicant and a 24-hour concierge is to be available. The roof of the building is to accommodate a rooftop garden area.”
It added: "The overall quantity of apartments and number of bedrooms would remain unchanged.
"The building approved would have been predominantly brick faced with areas of cladding proposed for the gable stairwell shafts.”
Montague Health Centre dated back to the late 1960s but closed in 2011 and was replaced by the £21m Barbara Castle Way Health Centre.
The building has been used by a nursery for some time after the NHS teams moved out.
It was then put up for sale through property consultant Trevor Dawson in November 2017 with a guide price of £500,000.
