Planning decision saves vital £450K on Blackpool Multiversity costs

Councillors at Blackpool approved a number of changes to the town’s ambitious Multiversity scheme which effectively saved £450k towards its cost.

The Blackpool Multiversity project, a new £65 million, five-storey higher education campus earmarked for the town centre on Cookson Street, was originally given planning permission in Spring 2024.

But members of Blackpool Council’s Planning Committee needed to consider a resubmission of that original ‘reserved matters’ or detailed application, to substitute approved plans and update a number of associated technical submissions.

These revisions included repositioning of the building by 2m to the south to avoid cables, alterations to the footprint of the building, reduction in roof height at the eastern end facade and changes in the finished floor levels.

There would also be landscaping amendments and changes to the external surface of the building.

Planning papers stated: “The building footprint would still fall within the area for development that was approved at outline stage. It is therefore acceptable in principle.

“It would be set further to the south by 2m, but this would not have any materially different impact on any of the surrounding properties or the streetscene than the current approval, and is wholly acceptable.

“The building would primarily face to the north-west and address the public plaza area to the west and the existing open space to the north.”

Susan Parker, Head of Development Management, outlined the application and advised the committee that the most significant alteration was the proposed flattening of the elevations, by the replacement of textured terracotta with smooth, and the loss of the window recesses behind the projecting terracotta columns.

These changes were considered by the Planning Officers to be unfortunate, however Ms Parker drew the Committee’s attention to the Update Note which outlined that a return to the previous scheme would add £450k on to the cost of the build, which, in conjunction with the delays and increase costs from the Compulsory Purchase Order process and increase in development costs, would mean that the costs could not be covered.

Councillors unanimously agreed to support the application and delegate reserved approval, subject to a number of conditions.

Led by Blackpool and The Fylde College in partnership with Blackpool Council, the Multiversity is backed by government funding and is designed to transform a large section of the town centre into a modern, high-tech learning hub, offering more than 70 courses.

A number of houses on George Street and Milbourne Street have been demolished to make way for the development, after Blackpool Council implememted Compulsory Purchase Orders.

It is hoped the Multiversity can be up and running by September 2027.