Blackburn finds new anchor for £45m skills campus after Uni of Lancashire drops out

Star Academies has agreed to purchase the freehold for the first building of the Levelling Up Fund project for £10.3m once it completes, renaming the development Star Square in the process.

University of Lancashire, formerly known as University of Central Lancashire, had been set to move into the 93,000 sq ft building on the Brown Street Car Park in the town centre as late as April last year. However, due to financial pressures on the university market, the education facility had to pull out of the deal.

Star Academies entered the picture around six months ago, talking with Blackburn with Darwen Council about taking on the first of three buildings that make up the skills campus. The council’s executive committee will be asked to approve the deal at its meeting next week.

• Read the council report

Garnering approval from the council is just the first step. The Department of Education will also need to weigh in.

Only once approvals are gained from both will an updated Section 73 planning application be submitted – filled with a series of adjustments to the planning application approved in September 2024. These are based on Star Academies requirements for training rooms, a 200-person lecture theatre, café, multi-faith spaces, flex workspaces, meeting rooms, and a recording studio.

Star will occupy the ground, mezzanine, and first floors of the building, to be known as 1 Star Square. The second and third will be for charity partners or the future expansion of Star itself.

The goal is to submit the planning application later this year, with a contractor appointed soon after, using the North West Construction Hub Framework.

Work on 1 Star Square could start in early 2027, with an aim to complete in 2028. When it opens, 1 Star Square will be Star’s headquarters, enabling the charity to move from its current home at the former Blakewater High School on Shadsworth Road. Star currently leases this space from the council.

The project has an estimated cost of £45.3m, with £32.3m for 1 Star Square and £13m for external infrastructure.

Funding for Star Square comes from the council’s successful £20m Levelling Up Fund bid for the Blackburn Innovation District. The Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government has issued a deadline of March 2028 for spending the cash.

In addition to the LUF award, the project is financially supported by £2m from the Lancashire Combined Authority and £23.3m from council borrowing.

Nearly half of the amount borrowed will be repaid through Star’s purchase of the building, which must be done by 29 March 2029, according to the legal agreement. At this point, Star would be obligated to purchase the building and its land for £10.3m, which breaks down to £10m for the building and £300,000 for the land. This purchase price excludes VAT and was determined by an independent valuer, according to the council.

As part of the deal with Star, Blackburn with Darwen council has agreed to cover business rate liability for the second and third floors for up to two years or until the space is occupied, whichever is sooner. Council officers estimate that this will be no more than a total of £100,000 for the two years.

Kam Kothia, chair of trustees at Star Academies, said: “Star Academies was born in Blackburn and, as we have grown into a national organisation, this town’s spirit, its people and its potential have driven everything we do, and now we are proud to invest that belief back into its future.

“The first building at Star Square represents a truly momentous milestone – part of an inspiring civic and economic hub in the heart of the town that will bring new opportunities, attract investment and help drive long‑term renewal,” Kothia continued.

“Establishing our new headquarters here is a powerful statement of our commitment to the community that shaped us. Star Square will stand as a lasting legacy for Blackburn, benefiting local people, businesses and the wider regional economy for many years to come.”

Reflecting on the deal, Blackburn with Darwen Council Leader Cllr Phil Riley said: “This marks an important next step – supporting the trust’s growth ambitions while helping to drive our wider plans for the town centre, bringing more people into the heart of Blackburn to strengthen both the daytime and evening economy.

“This scheme will create an important hub for innovation, research and learning with real community benefit, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Star Academies and welcoming them to their new, state-of-the-art headquarters.”

Turner & Townsend is the project and cost manager for the scheme, with BDP on multi-discipline design services. Blake Morgan is providing legal advice to the council.

Founded in 2010 in Blackburn, Star Academies operates nearly 40 primary and secondary schools throughout the country. It is also a founding partner of the National Institute of Teaching, which is dedicated to training teachers. 1 Star Square will double as NioT’s training space as well as being Star’s headquarters.

You can view the original application for 1 Star Square by searching reference 10/24/0595 on Blackburn with Darwen’s planning portal.