Darwen’s town centre transformation is set to benefit from an extra £5m of funding, taking the total to more than £20m.
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The flagship Darwen Town Deal project already includes work on Darwen Market, Darwen Library and Darwen Library Theatre, with millions of pounds of investment going into the town centre.
The additional £5m includes money that had been ring-fenced for a new additive manufacturing accelerator, supported by Sheffield University. That scheme will now not go ahead because of rising financial pressures on the UK university sector.
A report going to Blackburn with Darwen Council is asking for the funding to be reallocated to the Darwen Market and Civic Quarter development.
Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and Vice Chair of the Darwen Town Board, said: “We are an incredibly ambitious council which wants the very best for our towns and our residents.
“Our growth programme is of city-scale – we punch way above our weight and work hard to deliver change that is truly transformational.
“This additional £5m for the town centre regeneration will allow us to realise our aspirations – aspirations which have sadly been impacted by global events and the effect they have had on our economy, including the astronomical rise in the cost of delivering complex schemes like this.
“The UK’s university sector is feeling the financial strain too and unfortunately Sheffield University is unable to progress with the additive manufacturing accelerator which would have been the first of its kind in the whole country.
“What this now means, however, is that we have more money available for the town centre – which comes out as a top priority for our residents and businesses every single time we go out to consultation and ask for their views.
“And we’re well on with progressing those plans with Barnfield Construction, with this additional funding providing a huge boost in such challenging times.”
The report to the Executive Board says the Darwen Town Board, which oversees both the Darwen Town Deal and Darwen Pride in Place funding, will reallocate its £2.8m from the manufacturing project to the town centre regeneration.
The council will also move a further £1.5m that had originally been set aside for the manufacturing scheme from the £12.5m it has already committed to Town Deal projects.
Added to this is almost £1m of new funding from the Arts Council’s Creative Foundations Fund for Darwen Library Theatre, taking the total investment to more than £20m.
The theatre funding is expected to pave the way for a new cinema offering at the venue, along with improved sound and seating.
Councillor Riley added: “As a Council, we work incredibly hard to make every single penny count and that’s incredibly important for schemes like the Darwen town centre transformation.
“Since we first successfully secured the full £25m of Town Deal funding, there have been huge challenges nationally and globally – challenges that we have no control over.
“We’re not afraid of hard work though and we know just how important the project is to our residents and the future of the town centre.
“This additional funding will help make a real difference.”
Officers are now finalising detailed design work with Barnfield Construction, with work on site expected to start in the coming months.
The transformation includes refurbishment of the Victorian Market Hall, a new arcade to replace the existing Market Annex, and upgrades to the town centre car park.
There is also investment planned for the town’s Carnegie Library and Darwen Library Theatre.
Darwen Youth Zone has recently opened in a new youth centre opposite, which is double the size of the previous building and offers activities for youngsters seven days a week.
More than £275,000 has also been awarded to projects in the town through the new Darwen Community Fund, supporting “quick wins” as part of the Pride in Place programme.
The Darwen Town Board is asking for views on Darwen town centre and how funding could best be spent through the new ‘Let’s Talk Darwen’ survey.
Residents can take part online here: https://darwentowncentre.co.uk/letstalkdarwen/.
