The Mall Blackburn

The Mall Blackburn, also known by its former name, Blackburn Shopping Centre, is a shopping centre serving the town of Blackburn, Lancashire, England and is owned by the Adhan Group.^[2]

The Mall Blackburn

Location	Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Opening date	1967^[1]
Management	Loraine Jones
Owner	IM Group Services Ltd
No. of stores and services	110
No. of anchor tenants	Primark Wilko Next
No. of floors	2
Parking	1300
Website	The Mall Blackburn Website

History

The shopping centre was built in three phases, with the final phase opening in 1979. The centre was refurbished in 1995, during which the lower floor of the former Co-Operative Department Store was transformed into the Ainsworth Mall.^[3][4]

The centre was bought by Standard Life in 1993 and its name was subsequently changed to Blackburn Shopping Centre.^[5] Standard Life sold the centre in 2003 to Reit Asset Management.^[6][7][8]

In 2004, Reit Asset Management sold the centre to the Mall Company.^[9][10] The centre was sold again in 2022 to IM Group Services Ltd from Capital & Regional for £40 million.^[11][12]

Modernisation

A local newspaper, the Lancashire Telegraph, launched a campaign in June 2002 to have the square bulldozed, which drew attention from the public.^[13][14] In October 2003, the centre’s then owners, Reit Asset Management, announced plans for the redevelopment of square.^[15]

Further proposals for a revamp of the centre were put forward in January 2004, when the then owners of the centre lodged plans to redevelop the centre.^[16][17] However, when the Mall Company purchased the centre they scrapped the proposed redevelopment plans.^[18][19]

Demolition of the centre began in early 2008.^[20][21][22] In August of that year, progress on the redevelopment of the shopping centre was criticised by local business owners. The contractors (Balfour Beatty), who originally demolished the square, had withdrawn from rebuilding it, and no new contractor had been appointed four months later.^[23][24][25] New contractors, (Taylor Woodrow), were appointed in September 2008 by the shopping centre owners. The revamped centre was eventually opened in 2010. It features new shops and areas, as well as television screens, Ask Me points and other enhanced features.^[26][27]

Transport links

The shopping centre is located in the centre of Blackburn and is a short walk to:

• Blackburn Railway Station
• Taxi ranks

See also

• Blackburn
• The Mall Company

References

1. "REIT Asset Management Completes Pounds 100-M Blackburn Retail Deal". globest.com. 12 August 2003. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
2. "Giant firm behind shopping mall bid". Lancashire Telegraph. 10 August 2004. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
3. "Shopping centre up for sale". Lancashire Telegraph. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
4. "Standard Life reveals reason for sale decision". Lancashire Telegraph. 5 November 2002. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
5. "Standard Life dampens Blackburn shopping centre hopes". www.egi.co.uk. 25 April 2001. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
6. "Shopping centre bought". Lancashire Telegraph. 16 June 2003. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
7. "Reit buys Standard Life's Blackburn Shopping Centre". Property Week. 28 March 2003. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
8. "Shopping centre is finally sold for £100m". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 12 July 2003. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
9. "The Mall snaps up three shopping centres for £380m". propertyweek.com. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
10. "Shopping centre deal for The Mall". The Times. 12 August 2004. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
11. "Adhan Group buys The Mall Blackburn for £40m". Lancashire Telegraph. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
12. "Capital & Regional sells The Mall in Blackburn for £40m". property-magazine.eu. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
13. "Lord Square 'must be improved or else' warning". Lancashire Telegraph. 17 June 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
14. "Workmen move in on Lord Square". Lancashire Telegraph. 20 May 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
15. "Crumbling square to get massive revamp". Lancashire Telegraph. 2 October 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
16. "I want square deal, warns store boss". Lancashire Telegraph. 17 January 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
17. "Property news - Blackburn revamp plans lodged". RetailWeek. 23 January 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
18. "£15m Lord Square plan scrapped". Lancashire Telegraph. 8 September 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
19. "The square vanishes". Lancashire Telegraph. 7 January 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
20. "Centre 'eyesore' made ready for demolition". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
21. "Demolition work goes on". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 7 February 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
22. "Monster munch ends era for Woolworths building". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
23. "Blackburn shopping centre lack of progress a disgrace". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 7 August 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
24. "Who will re-build shopping centre?". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 19 February 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
25. "New Blackburn Mall builder still not revealed". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
26. "Primark Blackburn opens Monday". placenorthwest.co.uk. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
27. "Queues for Blackburn's £66m shopping centre". BBC. 26 July 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2021.

External links

• The Mall Blackburn Official Website
• The Mall Blackburn on The Retail Database

53°44′55″N 2°28′57″W / 53.7487°N 2.4826°W / 53.7487; -2.4826