Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone

As a multidisciplinary practice with divisions in Architecture, Building Surveying and Town Planning, Cassidy + Ashton’s team has been supporting Blackpool Council’s plans for the Airport Enterprise Zone since January 2020.

Blackpool’s Airport Enterprise Zone development is Blackpool Council’s multi-million-pound vision to redevelop land surrounding Blackpool Airport for various purposes including business parks, sports facilities, as well as sites and facilities for advanced manufacturing, data centre provision and warehousing.

One of Cassidy + Ashton’s initial projects for the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone was the design of Multi-Ply Components’ new £7m headquarters. It was the first commercial building constructed at the Zone’s Eastern Gateway and considered as ‘setting the precedence’ for creative and innovative sustainable building designs and the use of high-quality materials for future buildings constructed at the site.

The practice was also involved with the design and development of the completed Common Edge Community Sports Village, part of Phase One of the Zone’s masterplan, and the planning and design of new access roads to the Eastern Gateway.

Lawrence McBurney, director and architect at Cassidy + Ashton, said: “Having worked closely with the Blackpool Council for over four years on this development, we have an in-depth knowledge of council’s ambitions for the Enterprise Zone, the challenges it presents and the working methodology of the Enterprise Zone delivery team. We’re proud to see the vision come to reality and we are looking forward to playing an important role in the continued journey of the Enterprise Zone.”

The practice has also aided the council with its development of the masterplan for the Enterprise Zone’s Blackpool Airport and Silicon Sands sites, recently launched as a masterplan to create a high-performance data centre campus.

These plans for the Zone bolster Blackpool Council’s vision to become a leading destination for advanced manufacturing, aerospace engineering and high-performance computing. Future plans for the Airport Enterprise Zone retain flexibility to respond as new opportunities arise, particularly from the data energy and aviation sectors.

Lawrence added; “As part of the Enterprise Zone development, the infrastructure at Blackpool Airport is being replaced or upgraded and a new business park added. With Silicon Sands being master-planned for development, there is a requirement for planning and architectural services to develop the necessary designs prior to the commencement of any redevelopment, refurbishment or construction work.

“Not only do we have past experience working on projects in the Enterprise Zone, we have a large team which enables us to take on large-scale and complex projects and to allocate staff across multiple projects if required.”