Published Thursday 8 May 2025 at 13:00
Plans to transform Blackburn’s already super successful Making Rooms into the UK’s leading makerspace have officially been given the green light.
Supported by £1.5m of new Government funding, approval has now been granted for a major extension at the Exchange Street creative hub, adding two new levels to make full use of its basement and rooftop.
The Making Rooms – a much-loved innovation space at the heart of Blackburn town centre – sits proudly among a growing cluster of cultural venues, neighbouring Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery and The Bureau Centre for the Arts and facing the Exchange building.
And the town’s growing cultural offer is being boosted further with Blackburn with Darwen Council successfully securing £20m of new Government funding, with The Making Rooms just one of the venues to benefit.
Impressively, the expansion will more than double the existing capacity, creating over 10 new workspaces in the characterful former bank vaults in the basement and introducing a brand-new rooftop floor with a study room, breakout space, and outdoor terrace boasting views across Blackburn’s historic skyline and on to the Darwen moors.
The rooftop development will also become a dedicated Eco Lab – with a strong focus on sustainability, biomaterials, and experimentation with innovations like robot farming equipment.
Lab Director Tom Macpherson-Pope said:
We are absolutely thrilled that planning permission has now been granted.
What started as a pipe dream has now become a reality, and we can’t wait to begin the next chapter of The Making Rooms.
This expansion will help cement our position as the UK’s leading makerspace, and it will allow us to offer even more opportunities for learning, collaboration and innovation.
Since opening in 2016, The Making Rooms has welcomed tens of thousands of people from across the UK and beyond – offering creative and technical experiences in everything from ceramics to electronics, 3D printing, laser cutting, and more.
And with accessibility at the heart of the plans, the entire building will be upgraded to be fully accessible for all users.
The building is also home to two Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations: the award-winning National Festival of Making and Culturapedia as well as the One Voice Blackburn charity.
Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Deputy Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Executive Member for Growth and Development and a Board Member for The Making Rooms, welcomed the news that planning permission has now been granted.
He said:
This is brilliant for Blackburn and for the whole borough.
The Making Rooms is already achieving incredible things and it’s helping put us on the map for creativity, innovation and collaboration.
These exciting new plans will build on that success and help take it to the next level – unlocking new skills, opportunities and inspiration for our residents.
Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of the Council and also a Board Member, added:
Tom and the team at The Making Rooms are a true inspiration.
They’ve created a thriving hub that welcomes people from all walks of life and they’re helping to shape the future of making – not just here in Blackburn, but across the UK and Europe.
This expansion is a well-deserved next step, and we’re proud to support it.
To find out more about The Making Rooms, including opening times and how to get involved, visit: www.makingrooms.org
And be sure to follow The Making Rooms on Facebook and Insta for all the latest updates on the expansion.
You can also read more about the £20m of new funding for cultural venues in and around Blackburn by clicking here.