Blackburn’s £9m Levelling Up project secures funding boost

With a £1.5m grant approved, charity Re:Source is gearing up for the first phase of improvements for the grade two-listed Exchange building off King William Street.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has released the funds to the non-profit, which was set up by Re:Ignite Church. The money comes from the local authority’s £20m Levelling Up Partnership deal with the government from March.

Re:Source has been committed to restoring and managing The Exchange since 2015. Plans for the 1865 building, a former cotton exchange and later Apollo Cinema, were approved in February.

Buttress Architects drew up the designs, which include 2,200 sq ft of collaborative workspace, 6,300 sq ft of flex events space, a roof terrace and bar, and an assortment of meeting rooms and private offices. The project is estimated to cost £9m all in all.

The £1.5m from the council, however, is primarily dedicated towards more basic improvements. This includes installing an eight-person lift, creating a new entrance, repairing the tower, bringing in new toilets, and replacing the leaky roof of the building’s 1920s extension.

Re:Source will be going out to tender for the work at the end of September, with a goal to appoint a contractor in October and start work in November. The target completion date is summer 2025.

“It’s fantastic to see work already starting using this new investment – work that will make a real difference,” said Cllr Quesir Mahmood, deputy leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council.

“The Exchange is an iconic venue in the town centre with a fascinating history and an exciting future ahead, a future we’re really proud to be able to support.”

Parker Wilson Consulting and Clach Consulting Engineering also worked alongside Buttress on crafting the designs for The Exchange.

You can find out more about the project by searching application reference number 10/23/0346 on Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning portal.

The Exchange is just one of several projects to secure funding from the Levelling Up Partnership. Other initiatives include accessibility improvements at King George’s Hall, creating the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre’s low-carbon business accelerator, and the regeneration of Imperial Mill.