Seddon lands £2.4m Blackburn with Darwen youth hub contract

The construction firm has been chosen by the council to carry out the redevelopment work on two centres.

Blackburn with Darwen Council was successful in securing a grant of £4.5m last year from the government’s Youth Investment Fund, managed by Social Investment Business, designed to support the out-of-school youth sector in levelling up priority areas.

Audley and Queen’s Park Children’s Centre and Darwen Youth Centre are in line for upgrades, with the construction phase estimated to be worth £2.4m.

The choice of Seddon Construction as the contractor has been made in a delegated decision by Martin Kelly, the council’s strategic director of growth and development.

It is subject to approval by the grant funder the Social Investment Business though its construction consultants Fusion 21.

The funding envelope for the work has been confirmed with Seddon ahead of the pre-construction services contract and full design and build contract being drawn up, according to Kelly’s report confirming the decision.

Planning applications for both the Audley and Darwen schemes have been submitted and approved by the authority’s relevant committees.

Outlined in a planning statement put together by Cassidy + Ashton and John Puttick Associates, the Audley scheme will see three small single storey extensions and creation of a new entrance canopy, to the eastern and western elevations of the existing community facility.

The Darwen scheme, also led by Cassidy + Ashton and John Puttick Associates will see two side extensions providing stairs to a new floor level above the ground floor and a front extension to provide a main entrance.

There will be internal reconfigurations and improvements to the multi-use games.

Booth King Partnership is the civil and structural engineer for both projects.

To view the Darwen Youth Centre proposals, search for application reference number 10/23/0861 on the Blackburn with Darwen Council planning portal.

The reference number for the Audley and Queens Park project is 10/23/0858.