[Archived] Areas in Blackburn

[JAL]

JAL, your view on the old Infirmary building confuses me. You'd rather they renovate a dangerous and delapidated shell (for the sake of heritage) than replace it with a purpose built facility for those who need personal care?

Dont see any reason why the building cant be developed to deliver personal care coupled with housing units within the building for the benefit of Blackburn and its residents providing there is a desire and comitment from its council to make Blackburn look good of course, which sadly seems not to be which surely can only put outside investors off considering Blackburn in future.

[perthblue02]

here here TJ they really should show this film in all of Blackburn's schools.

While not to be picky , perhaps they should re-shoot the Higher Croft scene's in Highercroft and not Fishmoor, surprised TJ didn't pick up on it.

The main Asian actor was good is he a professional? and what the hell were BWD community services doing letting the guy who was originally organising the script/ film near kids after what he did to Rosie Webster

An enjoyable watch though made me a bit homesick

[thenodrog]

Listed buildings count for nowt with this council. Take the Old Police a House at the bottom of Montague Street.

" knock it down, we need to put a bloody road through"

Seems to be a theme with Blackburn council though. Allow a building to fall into a state of disrepair through neglect and lack of maintenance and then cite it's state of disrepair as the chief reason for knocking it down.

It's like there is a deliberate attempt to remove any heritage from the town and replace it with pop-up, concertina buildings. There won't be any tradition or roots in the town soon.

Maybe it's all part of the plan.

How that Police house became listed God only knows. It had no purpose whatsoever and was blocking the ring road which has still not been completed 50 years after first appearing on the drawing board!

As a general rule I'd say a lot of properties with character are old cold and draughty with little or no insulation. No one can afford to warm them so they end up derelict and unsightly and worst of all still attract business rates which is the real kicker for their owners. I believe the old Newmans footwear is in the process of being demolished for the same reason. It's simply had it's day. The option for owners is 'pay through the nose forever or flatten them'. Easy choice isn't it?

[Mike E]

How that Police house became listed God only knows. It had no purpose whatsoever and was blocking the ring road which has still not been completed 50 years after first appearing on the drawing board!

As a general rule I'd say a lot of properties with character are old cold and draughty with little or no insulation. No one can afford to warm them so they end up derelict and unsightly and worst of all still attract business rates which is the real kicker for their owners. I believe the old Newmans footwear is in the process of being demolished for the same reason. It's simply had it's day. The option for owners is 'pay through the nose forever or flatten them'. Easy choice isn't it?

I worked there for 12months and quite sad to see it go tbh :/ But the business is mostly online now, I believe in the form of SparkleClub or something.

[Ewood Spark]

How that Police house became listed God only knows. It had no purpose whatsoever and was blocking the ring road which has still not been completed 50 years after first appearing on the drawing board!As a general rule I'd say a lot of properties with character are old cold and draughty with little or no insulation. No one can afford to warm them so they end up derelict and unsightly and worst of all still attract business rates which is the real kicker for their owners. I believe the old Newmans footwear is in the process of being demolished for the same reason. It's simply had it's day. The option for owners is 'pay through the nose forever or flatten them'. Easy choice isn't it?

Spot on Gordon. That Police house held up the completion of the ring road (and the proposed business park) for years. It's all well and good wanting the council to protect old buildings like the infirmary ... but if private developers won't invest in the massive costs to redevelop them, then all that happens is the buildings deteriorate and become an eyesore.

Anyway on a more positive note here is another film ... this time showing some of the successful business in the borough. Good to see that the local Asian community are starting to set up some of these. http://y2u.be/qYL7MVzxL1I

[JAL]

Theres a massive difference between pulling down the Newmans building that offers nothing of architectural note than the beautiful Victorian building....... The Royal Infirmary.

[Willie Eckerslike]

Spot on Gordon. That Police house held up the completion of the ring road (and the proposed business park) for years. It's all well and good wanting the council to protect old buildings like the infirmary ... but if private developers won't invest in the massive costs to redevelop them, then all that happens is the buildings deteriorate and become an eyesore.

Anyway on a more positive note here is another film ... this time showing some of the successful business in the borough. Good to see that the local Asian community are starting to set up some of these. http://y2u.be/qYL7MVzxL1I

Is that the best the council can come up with?

Using Crown Paints as one of their success stories when it's been here for donkey's years and the other two large businesses have been in business for 10-20 years too - hardly "starting to be set up".

The guy printing t-shirts seems like the only real start-up business.

Pity they didn't include the another well-known Blackburn business - Thwaites - to get their opinion of our wonderful council.

[old darwen blue]

I believe the house in question was the offices for the Blackburn Police task force whilst the Northgate building the office for the Blackburn Borough Police. As there hasn't been a task force for years one wonders why it was left standing, listed or not.

[Stuart]

Because instead of being found useful purpose it has been left to go to ruin, whilst an inadequate bypass was built and the town centre destroyed by one-way systems to force its use, resulting in motorists believing it is 'common sense' to pull it down. Social conditioning at its finest.

Never mind the graveyard they have had to destroy as well.

[thenodrog]

The problem is that it should never have been listed in the first place. Hardly up there with Lloyds bank building and the old Tech is it? Do you know why it was listed Stuart?

Anyway would you have a suggestion for what it could have become? Some sort of hostel for down and outs is about all I can think of.

[Stuart]

If the council really cared about the towns heritage and history (and architecture) it would have been turned into a museum. The only museum we do have is not well maintained or stocked, let alone publicised.

[Willie Eckerslike]

Despite there being alternative routes for the new road, the half wits in charge decided to plough on regardless with a route that demolished an old Georgian building and then disturbed a graveyard, resulting in the relocation of the content of those graves.

Apparently there was a campaign to save the building but I don't remember seeing the signs

http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/news/campaign.php?id=141

[thenodrog]

A 'Georgian gem'. Whichever way one views that photo the old police house was bog ordinary and plug ugly.

[yoda]

The gems in the town center was the old market hall and Thwaites arcade

[Brfcrule1]

I would like to thank everyone on here for their help and advice my housing search is at an end.

I have now accepted a flat on Whitebirk road an upper floor flat with a lovely garden.

Thanks to all who have given me some valuable advice on areas in Blackburn including Tom M, Kamy, TJ Newton,Mike Ellison,Yoda, Stuart and others.

It has been a pleasure to meet some of you at various home games.

It has been a long and arduous road bidding for places and my rehab worker has been excellent in guaranteeing certain improvements will be made to make it possible to live there independently.

I also believe me and my little moggy Bellers will be very happy there hopefully for many years.

Thanks a lot to everyone for their help & I look forward to catching up with yourselves at future games.

[Stuart]

Congratulations and Welcome Savio!

[Mike E]

Amazing news, Sav see you on Ewood!

[Ewood Spark]

Superb news Savio. Always good to welcome new people to our great borough. By the way we have met ... I was stand-in chairman for the Fans Forum meeting you attended many years ago!

[Tom]

Great news Savio I hope you have many happy years in Blackburn

[ABBEY]

Savio I saw you on darwen st on Sunday. .. Relised it was you and went round block to come and say hello and you had vanished .

[J*B]

Savio I saw you on darwen st on Sunday. .. Relised it was you and went round block to come and say hello and you had vanished .

Has he been seen since? To raise awareness of Savio's disappearance please tweet #WhereIsSavio?

Thanks all.

[Mike E]

Savio I saw you on darwen st on Sunday. .. Relised it was you and went round block to come and say hello and you had vanished .

Spotted where you sit at the Burnley game, Abs. Shall I pop up tonight and say hello? I only sit about 7/8 rows in front.

[Brfcrule1]

haha very good Josh I am still around. Abs yes you did see me on Darwen Street I was on my way into the Wetherspoons for my sunday dinner after the match before heading back to my hotel shame you missed me if I'd seen you I would have said hello I was quite quick in there as I needed to get ready to view my flat & get packed up to leave on tuesday.

[Tom]

Spotted where you sit at the Burnley game, Abs. Shall I pop up tonight and say hello? I only sit about 7/8 rows in front.

Spotted him? You mean heard right?

I'm row 23 you are probably only a bit away from me

[ABBEY]

Spotted where you sit at the Burnley game, Abs. Shall I pop up tonight and say hello? I only sit about 7/8 rows in front.

Yes