Council moves to buy up houses for £65m uni site

The properties within the red box would be demolished to make way for the new campus

A council has made a compulsory purchase order to buy up land needed to build a new £65m university campus.

Blackpool Council previously approved the demolition of 59 homes, and backed an outline application for three buildings to built on the site.

The campus will be known as University Centre Blackpool.

People have until 24 May to register any objections.

A computerised image of how the campus could look

The plans form part of the £350m Talbot Gateway regeneration of the area.

The buildings will be used by Blackpool and the Fylde College in collaboration with Lancaster University.

The council said anyone in the homes set for demolition would be offered support if they are displaced.

Alan Cavill, the authority's director of regeneration, said the council "fully understands" the impact on people.

“We continue to support any residents who have to move as a result, and nobody will be asked to move out without reasonable warning and support to find somewhere else suitable to live," he said.

'Only suitable space'

The council also said it had provided an advice service, independent of the team negotiating to buy the properties.

It said they were available to be contacted by any residents affected.

The council insisted the area was the only "suitable space" for the campus because of adequate transport connections.

The new order can be viewed at the Bickerstaffe House council offices in Talbot Road or at the Town Hall.

A consultation took place on the project in 2021, with 86% of respondents "positive" or "very positive" about the scheme.