Published Wednesday 1 July 2026 at 19:38
Blackburn with Darwen Council is set to step in and buy an abandoned site in Blackburn, paving the way for new affordable homes.
Using Section 106 funding secured through new housing developments across the borough, the Council will buy the land at Scotland Bank Mill – once home to the Kickers factory.
For years, officers have worked hard on behalf of residents to find a solution for the empty and derelict site, which has been blighted by noise, nuisance, anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.
The land is owned by a national company but, given the challenges of the site and rising construction costs nationally, it’s not been considered financially viable for private development.
Now, the Council is set to buy the land and partner with Together Housing to deliver new affordable homes. Details of the purchase are set out in a report due to be presented to the Council’s Executive Board next week.
Councillor Quesir Mahmood, the Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Growth and Development, said:
For years, this abandoned piece of land has been a blight on the community living in and around Scotland Bank Terrace.
We’ve worked hard to find a solution for the residents living close by as we know just how frustrated they’ve been by the lack of action and the anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping – not something we want for our communities.
Along with the land owners, we’ve now exhausted every possible option for the site and so we’re stepping in to buy it.
By working with Together Housing, this empty and derelict site will be transformed with quality, new, affordable homes – something that residents in our borough tell us is incredibly important to them.
We’ve seen elsewhere how developments like this genuinely change lives and we’re looking forward to being able to progress this scheme – improving the whole area for the people living there.
Together Housing already owns properties on Scotland Bank Terrace and in the surrounding area off Heys Lane, and the site has been identified as a suitable location for new two and three-bedroom homes.
Right across Blackburn with Darwen, the Council is working with partners to deliver similar schemes.
At Griffin, work is now underway on the final phase of the regeneration there, part of a £20m investment in affordable homes in the area.
Meanwhile, work is nearing completion on affordable homes at the Water’s Edge development off Haslingden Road, where key workers, including those working at Royal Blackburn Hospital, are being prioritised.
The Council has also worked with Together Housing to deliver a development of fully accessible bungalows on Borrowdale Avenue – much-needed homes for local residents and they’re delivering new homes on the Holden Fold development in Darwen too.
Councillor Mahmood added:
As a Council, we are renowned for our partnership working, and the success of these developments – especially developments on difficult sites – is a real testament to that.
We work incredibly hard to ensure we offer our residents the best possible chances in life – part of our mission to ensure that no-one is left behind – and when we visit these new developments, we are fortunate to see the hugely positive impact they have.
Yes, this is about creating new homes, but it’s also about building strong communities – something we are all passionate about.
Picture shows Councillor Quesir Mahmood (centre) with Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of the Council, and Councillor Julie Gunn, Deputy Leader of the Council, at the Griffin site