Blackpool signs off reworked Stanley Buildings refurb

The proposals feature some design tweaks to a previously consented scheme in an attempt to reduce the cost of converting the historic structures into a start-up business hub.

The Stanley Buildings project, known as The Edge, is being delivered by Blackpool Council.

The council approved the modified application last week under delegated powers. The Edge has been designed by Cassidy + Ashton.

The more expensive version of the project had been given planning permission last year, when it had an estimated cost of £6.9m. However, that price tag had grown to £7.6m, leading the council to undertake what it called a “cost reduction exercise”.

Stanley Buildings are bound by Church Street, Caunce Street, and Cookson Street. The connected buildings have more than three floors and boast 48,700 sq ft of floorspace.

The recently approved scheme will see the locally listed buildings reconfigured into a store, café, and office space. This will include repairs to their facades, replacing windows, removing canopies, and installing additional lighting. The buildings also share an interior courtyard, in which sit several modern extensions.  These extensions will be demolished.

Eric Wright Group has crafted the construction environmental management plan for the scheme.

You can learn more about the project by searching 23/0372 on Blackpool Council’s planning portal.