Morgan Sindall confirmed for Blackpool court project

Contracts have been signed as His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunal Service looks to return justice provision to the town in a £40m project.

A new £40m Magistrates’, family, and civil courts complex has been planned for a mostly-cleared plot on Devonshire Road for some time, but the problem has been beset by delays, chiefly the administration of original contractor ISG.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told Place North West: “HMCTS remains committed to delivering the new court and a contract has now been signed with Morgan Sindall Construction.

“Further updates will be announced in due course and contingency plans to hold hearings at other sites within the region remain in place while the project progresses.”

Blackpool’s previous courthouse was closed due to being heavily inflicted with RAAC in late 2023, with the building being demolished in spring 2025 as part of clearance works for the £300m Blackpool Central – a project on which the council is now seeking a new investor-developer as partner.

Since that closure, local justice matters have been handled out of town, with people requiring the courts’  services needing to travel to other locations.

ISG had been appointed as contractor for the replacement court, at the junction of Talbot Road and Devonshire Road, but the contractor fell into administration in September 2024. Work had been expected to start early in 2025 at that stage.

A year later, it was reported by Construction News that Morgan Sindall had secured the project as part of a £126m package with the MoJ, also including maintenance work at three prisons. That process has now reached the contract stage for the Blackpool court facility.

Morgan Sindall declined to comment.