Crunch time for Blackpool’s Multiversity land assembly 

After more than a year of negotiations with landowners, the council will have to use compulsory purchase powers to acquire the majority of the three acres needed to deliver the 190,000 sq ft higher education facility, a move it describes as a “last resort”.

There is a “compelling case in the public interest” for compulsory acquisition of properties off Cookson Street, Milbourne Street, George Street, and Grosvenor Street, according to a report to Blackpool Council’s executive. 

This is because the “many public benefits” of the Multiversity “outweigh” the rights of the landowners, the report states. 

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “The Multiversity development is another major project in our redevelopment of the area around Blackpool North train station, which will bring thousands more people into the town centre, majorly boosting our local economy and creating new jobs.” 

Since negotiations with owners began last year, the council has managed to acquire around 30% of the land required to deliver the Multiversity project. 

However, the council has concluded that there is “no reasonable prospect that the site can be assembled in a timely fashion” by means of negotiation, prompting the need to exercise CPO powers. 

“It is a last resort,” the report states. 

Any ongoing negotiations will continue and support is being provided to those affected by the project, the council said. 

“This development is game-changing in terms of our plans to make Blackpool better, but we do very clearly understand the impact on people living in the properties we’re buying, we are buying their homes,” Williams added. 

“I want to reassure them that we will continue to support any tenants or residents who have to move as a result, and nobody will be asked to move out without reasonable warning and support to find somewhere else suitable to live.” 

The three acre site is located close to the Talbot Gateway regeneration area. Credit: via council documents

The Multiversity project was awarded £9m as part of Blackpool Town Deal in March 2022 to buy the properties and assemble the land. 

The project was also awarded £40m as part of the government’s Levelling Up Fund in January 2023. 

The council approved the final £16m facility in March, with the facility expected to be open to students in September 2026. 

Designs for the Multiversity are being worked up and an outline planning application for the site is expected to be submitted later this year. 

Avison Young is the scheme’s planning consultant, while Civic Engineers will provide structural and civil engineering consultancy services. 

Blackpool Council has made key project team appointments in recent weeks in order to move the £65m Multiversity along. 

CBRE has also been appointed to the team as the project manager and cost consultant and, according to a council document, Civic Engineers will enter into a sub-contract arrangement with specialist façade consultant Fortis for the provision of the exterior design. Hydrock is the acoustic, air quality, and fire engineering consultant. 

The higher education facility will be built in conjunction with Fylde College and offer courses on artificial intelligence, data, clean growth, and the future of mobility. 

The Multiversity development allows Blackpool and the Fylde College to replace out-of-town centre facilities on Park Road with a world-class state-of-the-art campus in the town centre. 

Alun Francis, principal and chief executive at Blackpool and The Fylde College, said: “Multiversity will genuinely transform the opportunities for people in Blackpool and on the Fylde coast, helping to deliver a highly skilled workforce.  

“It will combine the very best of higher and technical and professional education in one campus, with a curriculum completely aligned with the growing opportunities across Lancashire and the North West. 

“Multiversity aims to be the country’s first carbon neutral Higher Education campus and we fully intend it to be a landmark building as part of the redevelopment of Blackpool town centre. This is one of the best things to happen to Blackpool for a generation.” 

The Multiversity forms part of the £350m Talbot Gateway development, bringing up to 3,000 staff and students into Blackpool town centre.  

Other current Talbot Gateway developments under construction include the 144-bedroom Holiday Inn and the Civil Service Hub, which will bring an additional 3,500 professional workers to the area.