Blackburn town centre regeneration constructor approved

The revival of Blackburn’s town centre has taken a major step forward, with the selection of a constructor to deliver the £45 million first phase of the wider £250 million regeneration plan.

Kier Group, the largest infrastructure and property firm of its kind in the UK, has been appointed to oversee the huge Star Square development project, which will see work start as soon as next year on a new building and pocket park on Brown Street.

Announcing that Kier would be overseeing the latest scheme to revive the heart of the town, Blackburn with Darwen Council praised the regeneration project as one of the most ‘significant’ of its kind in the county that will attract visitors and strengthen the local economy.

The anchor for this plan is Star Academies, a multi-academy education trust that became the namesake for the project when it agreed to pay £10.3 million for the freehold of the 93,000 sq ft building at the centre of this first phase.

Called 1 Star Square, when plans for this large new building on Brown Street were first submitted in 2024, the University of Lancashire had been the intended occupant.

However, as with the advanced manufacturing project in Darwen that was scrapped by the University of Sheffield in recent months, the higher education institution pulled out over concerning financial headwinds facing the sector.

But with Star Academies planning to move their headquarters into the building once it has been built, its future as a national education hub in the centre of Blackburn has been secured. The trust has previously stated that it will be used for leadership training, research, and as a focal point for innovation.

It will occupy the first two floors of 1 Star Square, with the upper two floors kept aside for the trust’s future expansion, or as a space for its charity partners.

Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive member for growth and development, said: “Star Square is one of the most significant regeneration schemes currently being developed in Lancashire and it’s a key part of our £250m vision for Blackburn town centre.

“We worked incredibly hard to secure the £20m of Government funding needed to help support the scheme, complemented by a further £2m investment from the Lancashire Combined County Authority, helping us bring forward a development that will transform this landmark site.”

This new building will feature, if an updated planning application is approved by the authority, a 200-seat lecture theatre, training facilities, flexible workspaces, meeting rooms and a recording studio.

With preliminary work already completed on nearby roads improvements and a drainage diversion scheme expected to be finished by the end of the year, construction on 1 Star Square is expected to begin by spring of next year and be completed by 2028.

While this will be the largest ongoing investment in the town centre, it sits alongside a number of other improvements in the area such as the restoration of St John’s Church and the revamped King George’s Hall, which will reopen next month after a £13.5 million regeneration.

The building itself is just the first of four that will eventually be built as part of the wider town centre regeneration scheme, sitting on the site of the old market, which is adjacent to the former Thwaites Brewery site, acquired by the council from the Issa brothers earlier this year.

Welcoming the latest step towards spades going in the ground on their new headquarters, the chair of Star Academies, Kam Kothia OBE, said: “The first phase of Star Square represents far more than a new headquarters – it marks the beginning of an inspiring new era for our organisation and for the communities we serve.

“This transformational development will play a central role in the wider Star Square vision: a vibrant hub for knowledge, research, innovation and economic renewal.”

The head of the educational trust, which is currently based on Shadsworth Road, went on to say: “Alongside housing our central team, the building will serve as a flagship professional development and research centre, including the National Institute of Teaching’s North & West Campus and its headquarters.

“The Star Square development will provide a new national headquarters for Star Academies – an organisation recognised across the country for educational excellence – while creating a destination that will attract more people into the town centre, strengthening the local economy and supporting future growth.

“Reaching this milestone in appointing Kier is a major step forward and we look forward to working together to deliver a development that will bring lasting benefits for our residents, businesses and communities.”