THE restoration of a historic building twice damaged by fire has taken a major step forward.

A planning application to renovate and extend Blackburn’s Grade II listed Griffin Lodge as a health centre has been submitted with a view to opening in 2024.

The idea of restoring and expanding the derelict building, once the home of the Mayor of Blackburn, was first proposed by the town's Witton, Limefield and Redlam medical centres in 2017.

The lodge was built in 1824 but left as a burnt out shell by arson attacks in October 2013and January 2014.

Currently, the three practices involved are based in former houses now deemed unsuitable for modern clinical care.

Livesey with Pleasington ward's Cllr Derek Hardman, who raised the plight of the building with Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive board in February, said: "This is excellent news.

"I have seen the planning application and it is sensitive restoration of a building which has been a blight on the area for several years."

Dr Hereward Brown of Limefield Medical Centre said: “This has been in the making for a really long time.

"This would be a huge project but an enormously exciting one for our patients and teams, as well as a fantastic thing for Blackburn to see this historic site transformed and put to work again for our community.”

The new hub at Griffin Lodge will provide extended services including minor operations, new clinics and support including social prescribing, physiotherapy, mental health services for young people, and rehabilitation.

Dr Mark Dziobon, medical director for Blackburn with Darwen and NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Groups said: “This is a major proposal for the area and is a really exciting development.

"For patients this is going to be a game changer.

"It is important people have modern and accessible GP services.”

Cllr Phil Riley, regeneration boss for Blackburn and Darwen Council which owns the site, said: “Griffin Lodge has been out of use for a long time so to have it brought back into use would be a really positive thing. It is a fantastic Grade II listed building but has been unfortunately derelict for a while.

“It is also great to see the plans for a community health hub in our borough. This is especially important after the last two years.”

The practices have teamed up with North West-based primary care premises specialist Assura to turn their plans into reality.