Plans have been submitted for the new Morrisons store in Blackburn which is part of the proposed £250 million regeneration of the town centre.

The new supermarket, if approved, will take over the former 30,000sq ft Thwaites brewery site just off Barbara Castle Way.

The venture is being led by Blackburn with Darwen Council in partnership with the Eric Wright Group and Maple Grove Developments.

The new store will have parking to the front with pedestrian access to the town centre and surrounding areas.

Subject to approval, and once the new store is open, the existing supermarket is due to be demolished.

That land has been ear-marked for up to 500 new homes as part of a masterplan developed by BDP Architects, alongside a full refurbishment of the existing Morrisons multi-storey car park. 
In the meantime, the cleared space would become a temporary green, public space.

The planning application outlines how the decision to replace the existing supermarket comes as it looks to ‘enhance efficiency and customer experience.’ 

It says the current store, ‘though a staple in the community’, has become outdated in terms of layout.

The plans also show how the ‘concept store’ will emphasise sustainability, with features like 'energy-efficient lighting, reduced plastic packaging, and an increased focus on locally sourced and organic products'.

Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Phil Riley, said: “Investing in our town centres is a key priority for us – part of our £1 billion vision for the future of the borough to better the lives of our residents.

“This planning application is part of our £250m Blackburn Town Centre Masterplan, believed to be the largest proposed town centre regeneration scheme of its type in the whole region.

“The masterplan has been developed to transform that whole area – creating up to 1,000 new jobs.

“And, already we’ve successfully secured £20m of Government levelling-up funding for a skills and education campus of national significance there and, just before Christmas, our impressive plans to turn the former St John’s Church into a new Innovation Hub were agreed too.

“Despite the challenging picture nationally, there’s still a sense of real momentum here in Blackburn with Darwen driven by our determination to get things done and make a real difference.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

The plans reveal the area being taken up by the development

Director on behalf of Maple Grove Blackburn, Andrew Dewhurst, said: “This new planning application sets out our shared vision for the new Morrisons supermarket in the centre of Blackburn.

“It’s part of the £250m Blackburn Town Centre Masterplan and could be a real catalyst for further development of that whole area.

“This scheme is part of wider plans to help kick start a surge in the local economy.”

The £250m scheme is looking to deliver a £60m Skills and Education campus with a Cyber Zone; low carbon town centre accommodation next to retail, local services and flexible workspaces and improved public realm and increased cycle/pedestrian routes.

The masterplan is part of the Council’s £1bn vision for the future and its plans to diversify the town centre offer to increase footfall.