Further update on progress at £45m MoD building in Blackpool
The six-storey building on Talbot Road, next to Blackpool North Train Station, is not due to officially open until spring 2027 but residents have seen significant progress in recent weeks.
There was further progress this week on the £45 million Ministry of Defence office in Blackpool town centre as the imposing building continues to take shape.
The six-storey building on Talbot Road, next to Blackpool North Train Station, is not due to officially open until spring 2027 but residents have seen significant progress in recent weeks.
This week alone there has been additional cladding and further installation of windows at the 53,000 sq ft government hub, on Talbot Road, will house up to 1,100 staff.
It will become the new Blackpool base for Defence Business Services (DBS), bringing a significant influx of workers into the heart of the town and further reshaping the area around the town’s railway station.
The project is part of the ambitious Talbot Gateway scheme, the £350m+ mixed-use regeneration project in Blackpool, transforming the area around the train station into a modern commercial, education, and transport hub.
Led by Blackpool council and placemaker Muse, and delivered by contractor VINCI Building, it aims to boost the economy by creating jobs and attracting thousands of workers as well 3,000 students who will attend courses at the massive £65m Multiversity project.
The Multiversity also under construction at a nearby site bounded by Cookson Street, George Street, Grosvenor Street, and Milbourne Street.
MoD courses
And the town’s links with the MoD were further strengthened when, last month, it was announced that Blackpool and the Fylde College has been chosen by the Government department to provide vital new courses linked to Britain’s defence industry – thanks to a £10m investment.
The College has been selected as one of five new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges to offer vital skills training for the defence industries, as the Government looks to bolster Britain’s security in an increasingly unsafe world.
The courses are expected to begin in September this year. The move is part of the government’s wider launch of 19 new Technical Excellence Colleges to train key skills for growth industries across the UK.
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said the new MoD building represents a key part of wider regeneration plans focused on job creation and economic growth.
She added: “The redevelopment around Blackpool North station is central to making Blackpool better, creating jobs and opportunities for local people.
“We’re proud to be working alongside the Ministry of Defence to deliver a landmark building that will strengthen our economy.”