Construction preparation is now underway on Blackpool’s new Multiversity campus – a landmark £65m development that will transform the town’s education and economic landscape.
The town-centre campus for Blackpool and The Fylde College plans to bring up to 3,000 students and staff into Blackpool, creating a vibrant new hub for learning and innovation.
The team at Morgan Sindall have begun advancing site preparation works on the Cookson Street site ahead of construction.
As part of the company’s sustainability commitments, the team is working to minimise waste throughout demolition.
Justin Kay from Morgan Sindall said: “During the demolition process we try to recycle as much material as possible.
“We’re recycling all the brickwork, blockwork, glass, timber and plasterboard – nearly 95% of it is diverted from landfill.”
A new model for higher education
The Multiversity is part of a bold new approach to higher education, designed to be more flexible and more closely aligned to real-world skills needs and employer demand.
Its aim is to open up new routes into learning, supporting social mobility while helping learners progress into highly skilled jobs that are increasingly in demand.
Peter Greenall, vice principal for higher education and reform at Blackpool and The Fylde College, describes it as “a bold new ambition for what we want higher education to be for Blackpool.”
And he adds it will provide new opportunities for people wanting to develop their skills and qualifications, while helping create some of the careers that are on the horizon.
“This is a bold new ambition for what we want higher education to be for Blackpool,” he explains. “It will create new opportunities for people to develop their skills and qualifications, and help build the careers of the future.”
Accessible, flexible and career-focused
A key focus of the Multiversity is accessibility. The campus will offer technical qualifications, specialist courses, apprenticeships and degree pathways designed to meet the needs of learners at different stages of their lives.
Peter adds: “The important thing about the fact that it is not just about developing skills for local people, it is for people outside of Blackpool as well. It is about giving people from all communities access to higher technical education and skills.
“It is about providing flexible opportunities that will allow people to upskill and reskill at any point in their lives.”
The five-storey building will deliver more than 70 individual courses, supporting further education, higher education and adult learning under one roof.
Driving regeneration in the town centre
As well as its educational impact, the Multiversity will play a major role in Blackpool’s wider regeneration plans.
The land will replace poor-quality housing in the area and support the ongoing transformation of the Talbot Gateway development.
The land was acquired with the help of a £5m government grant, while £40m of government funding is supporting the construction phase.
Strong backing from local businesses
Local employers have welcomed the development, seeing it as a vital step in strengthening Blackpool’s skills pipeline.
Tom Smith, managing director of Blackpool-based digital marketing agency Complete, says the Multiversity will be crucial in supporting job creation across the town.
He says the need for skilled people in areas like AI is already here and while the opportunities from bigger towns and cities mean there is a need to “funnel the talent” so it comes through and into local jobs.
Energy and net zero consultancy Trident, based at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, is also excited by the Multiversity’s potential.
The business employs 65 people across a range of roles, with almost 20 per cent of its workforce trained locally through the apprenticeship system.
Sales and marketing director Steve Sorah says: “Although we are not a huge employer in the area, we do need a range of skills and we need that pipeline that Multiversity will deliver.”
As construction progresses, the Multiversity is already being seen as a cornerstone project for Blackpool’s future – bringing education, opportunity and regeneration together in the heart of the town.
This story was first published in the Lancashire Business View and the Blackpool Gazette, written by Ged Henderson and Ciara Fern respectively.
