Plans For New Education Campus In Blackpool Town Centre
An application has been submitted for a £65m education campus in Blackpool town centre. The development would be a part of the wider Talbot Gateway regeneration project, in the area around Blackpool North train station. Insider Media reports that the new facility would be occupied by Blackpool and The Fylde College.
The scheme is known as the Multiversity, and consists of plans for a five-storey campus on Cookson Street, which would accommodate over 3,000 staff and students and offer more than 70 individual courses. These will be tailored to address the skills needs of local employers and will work in conjunction with Lancaster University.
Blackpool and The Fylde College is a further and higher education institution with four main campuses located across the Fylde coast. It was founded in 1892, beginning life as Fleetwood’s School for Fishermen. This still exists in the form of a specialised Nautical campus, offering courses to train offshore workers and merchant seafarers.
The nautical college combined with Blackpool Technical College and School of Art in 1987. The Lytham site currently offers sixth form courses with an emphasis on technology and performing arts. The new facility would allow the out of town sites to combine in a central campus.
Cllr Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: “The Multiversity will be a game changing addition to Blackpool town centre and this is another exciting step forward.”
“The Talbot Gateway is designed to support our plans to make Blackpool better, by bringing thousands of workers and students into the town centre, and creating an environment for local businesses to benefit from that huge increase in footfall, creating more jobs and opportunities for local people.”
“The Multiversity will also help improve the town’s skills base so that our local people can learn work-ready skills and gain university level qualifications without leaving the town, while also offering a world class education campus that will help attract people to study, live and work in Blackpool.”
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 curriculum completely aligned with the growing opportunities across Lancashire and the North West. “
The new campus would be built by Blackpool Town Council with the assistance of a government grant of £9m from the Blackpool Town Deal. This was provided as part of the Levelling Up scheme in March 2022.
Other projects that will be funded by the Town Deal include Blackpool central courts relocation at a cost of £6.95m. This will provide world-class county and magistrates courts facilities for the region. The Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone will provide a series of new roads to open up previously inaccessible land for development.
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