Blackburn with Darwen Council in £1.6m Thwaites site buy out

Next week the authority's ruling executive board is being asked to agree to buy out its partner Maple Grove Developments' share of the joint venture which owns the cleared land.

The move follows Morrisons' decision to pull out of a proposed new superstore on the Penny Street site in March.

The retail complex was a crucial part of the council's original £250 million Blackburn Town Centre masterplan of which the redevelopment of Thwaites' former Star Brewery land was a keystone.

The firm left the site in 2018 when it moved to its new complex at Sykes Holt in the Ribble Valley after travellers invaded and trashed the buildings, which were demolished by 2020.

The authority invested millions of pounds in the joint venture with Maple Grove, part of the Eric Wright Group, to purchase the seven-acre site in 2021.

How the site looked when it was in operation, pictured in 2011 This latest step would see the council take full ownership and control of the joint venture and therefore the site, paving the way for a new masterplan to be prepared for it and the whole surrounding area – where proposals for a new 'Education and Cyber Skills Campus' have recently been agreed.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's Conservative group leader Cllr John Slater said: "This is a sad move.

"I fear that once again the borough's Labour leadership may be investing another £1.6m in what looks like it is fast becoming a white elephant.

"I warned time and again that Morrisons might pull out of its new superstore plan.

"It looks like the council is now throwing good money after bad."

Blackburn with Darwen Council's growth programme director Simon Jones said: “Partnership working is at the very heart of all we do here in Blackburn with Darwen.

“Joint ventures are a really good way of being able to bring forward major developments, benefitting our towns and the whole borough.

“The former Thwaites Brewery site was originally acquired through Maple Grove Blackburn in 2021 and was earmarked as a site for Morrisons to relocate to.

“Despite everyone’s best efforts, those plans were withdrawn by the supermarket chain and we’re now looking at the next steps for the site – one of our ‘big six’ of growth ambitions.

“By making this move to acquire the joint venture, we’ll have full control of the site’s future, which is incredibly important.

“We want to now update our masterplan for the area, anchored by our new Education and Skills Campus, and want to explore new opportunities including commercial, leisure and town centre uses.

“This is a huge opportunity for the future of Blackburn town centre and one we want to be very much in the driving seat for.”

The report to Thursday's Executive Board board meeting sets out how the remaining shares and debt in the joint venture will be purchased by the council for more than £1.6m.

It also seeks to appoint award-winning architects BDP to update the masterplan with consultation planned for the new year.

Andrew Dewhurst, director of Maple Grove Developments, added: “We have a really good partnership in place with Blackburn with Darwen Council, which we look forward to developing further in the years ahead.

“We recognise, however, that this is the right time for the council to take full control of this major development site and move forward with their plans for its future.

“We have other opportunities that we are currently working on with the council as one of their trusted partners on the growth and development framework”