BDP and Maple Grove win consent for Two Cathedral Square
The redevelopment of Blackburn’s Cathedral Square is set to continue after the architect and developer secured planning permission for the second commercial building on the site, a 35,000 sq ft office and retail space over six storeys.
The proposed building is situated on the North East corner of Cathedral Square and forms the latest phases of the area’s redevelopment.
It will sit alongside Blackburn’s Cathedral, extensive public realm, and No.1 Cathedral Square, an office building completed by Eric Wright in 2015. This building, let to Blackburn with Darwen Council on a 25-year lease, was sold to L&G Property for £9.1m.
The second phase, designed to complement the first building, features 30,000 sq ft of offices along with 5,000 sq ft of retail or café space on the ground floor over two units, accessed from the central public square.
Clad in glass and stone, the proposed building reaches six storeys in height featuring five floors of offices with open-plan floor plates.
Maple Grove, part of the wider Eric Wright Group, is again acting as the council’s development partner as with the first building. According to planning documents, the development team has asked for a five-year pre-commencement period to secure tenants, given uncertainties around Brexit.
The second building has now secured consent from the council’s planning committee, after winning approval at a meeting on 20 December 2018. The professional team on Two Cathedral Square also includes Garner Planning.
Overall, Cathedral Square is expected to deliver around 118,000 sq ft including office space, a Premier Inn, restaurants, shops, and a new bus interchange. It is funded by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership, the council, Homes England, and the European Regional Development Fund.
