Greenspace and public art revealed as part of £45m Ministry of Defence Blackpool North development
The new office development represents the fifth phase of the £350m Talbot Gateway development
Blackpool’s railway heritage has inspired new ‘public art’ landscaping designs to be provided as part of a new £45m office block close to the town’s railway station.
Last week it was announced that construction had begun on the new office building for Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants as part of Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway redevelopment.
The huge regeneration programme sees Blackpool Council working with development partner Muse Places and construction company VINCI Building on the six-storey building which will hold up to 1,100 staff from Defence Business Services (DBS).
When the planning application was approved last year, one of the planning conditions was that a ‘public art’ aspect had to be included in the scheme.
And this week details were revealed about what that ‘public art’ is likely to entail, when documents were lodged with Blackpool planners to show the requirements had been met.
These proposals, submitted as ‘discharge of condition 23 (Public Art) attached to planning permission, will now be considered by the council.
The designs show a green landscaped area, referred to as a ‘rain garden’, with benches designed with the town’s railway heritage in mind.
In planning documents lodged with Blackpool Council, designers Re-formLandsape stated: “Public Art will be defined through referencing the former historic railway uses of the site.
“It will be subtle yet ingrained within the landscape design. The planting will function as a rain garden and will work in harmony with the recolonised railway character.
“The tapping edge along the edge of the rain garden could be a reclaimed railway track, organised on the alignment of the verticals on the building and the paving rhythm. Surface water will be able to run into the planting areas through breaks in the edge. The accompanying seating should be simple, robust and continue the linear alignment.
“Alongside providing positive visual interest to the scheme, the public art will also boost sustainability by providing a sustainable urban drainage system and reusing existing materials.“
The site has lain empty since the Apollo building was demolished in 2014 but is now to get a new lease of life.
The new office development represents the fifth phase of the £350m Talbot Gateway development, led by the council and Muse.
A £100m civil service hub has already been built on Cookson Street for the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions).
Ross Porter, Defence Infrastructure Organisation Programme Manager, said last week of the new MOD offices: “After several years of pre-construction work and a huge collaborative effort from all parties involved, progressing this project to the construction stage is a great milestone to reach.
“We’re very much looking forward to delivering a first-class office facility for MOD staff in the area, as part of the Defence Estates Optimisation Portfolio.”
Coun Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This is another major step forward in our plans to make Blackpool better.
“We’re very grateful to the government for recognising Blackpool’s economic potential and continuing to invest and help us create quality jobs for local people.”
The building is scheduled for completion in 2027.