Regeneration efforts in a historic part of Blackburn town centre have been dealt a blow with the announcement a pub will close after only eight months.
Council bosses have expressed their disappointment over the news the Ribblesdale Tap will shut in the Blakey Moor area.
The Ribblesdale Tap sits opposite King George’s Hall in a historic building formerly home to the Ribblesdale Hotel, Gladstone's and Baroque Bar.
The taproom, run by Horwich-based Blackedge Brewery, opened in December last year in the newly developed £50 million Cultural Quarter.
It is based next to the Blakey Moor Terrace which is undergoing a major redevelopment, and the area had appeared to be on the up following the opening of the Akbar's restaurant earlier this year.
The pub boasted a selection of multi-award-winning craft beer, featuring seven cask ales, and seven keg and craft ciders.
When contacted, Blackedge Brewery said it only supplied beer to the pub.
The pub was open to customers on Friday and it is unclear when it will call last orders for the final time.
The council, which owns the building, said the closure of King George’s Hall may have led to lower footfall in the area.
King George's Hall is currently undergoing a major £8 million facelift, with urgently needed repairs taking place.
The hall will reopen after phase one of the renovation works in September, with the exception of the sell-out Squeeze concert on Saturday, August 3, which will still take place.
It will then close for phase two in January 2024 after the pantomime season.
Councillor Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “I was disappointed to hear about the Blackedge Brewery’s decision to close the Ribblesdale Tap.
“I’ve had some fantastic nights in there myself and it has been particularly busy on occasions when there have been events taking place over the road in King George’s Hall.
“There’s no denying that the temporary closure of King George’s has had an impact on the Ribblesdale Tap.
“We found out in March of this year that our bid for £8 million in government funding to carry out large-scale improvements to the 103-year-old building had been successful.
"This was money we simply couldn’t turn down, and it is impossible to do the necessary works at King George’s Hall without temporarily closing the building.
“I still feel proud of the work that was done to bring the Ribblesdale Tap building back into use, through the Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project and funded through the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
"It’s an iconic building and, along with King George’s Hall, a key part of Blackburn’s Cultural Quarter.”
The area around King George's Hall is undergoing major renovations with a section of Blakey Moor also closed to traffic.
The 19th Century building had been earmarked in 2022 to be the new home of the nearby Shh! Bar after a £350,000 renovation and refurbishment.
However, the new launch did not materialise until Blackedge Brewery stepped in.
Conservative Cllr Paul David Marrow said: “It is a shame for the town. It is sad to see this happen as a lot of money was spent on this building.
“It is also sad for the nightlife in Blackburn. I think this is part of a wider problem as to how to attract more people to the town centre.
“The council need to think smarter as it looks to bring back nightlife to the town, which was once thriving.
“With all the investment going on in this area, this should be a real hub for nightlife.”
Blackedge Brewery was contacted for comment.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel