Love Northgate this Valentines Day!

To show some love for Northgate in Blackburn town centre, the Townscape Heritage Project is launching #LoveNorthgate this Valentines Day at 5.30pm.

As part of the celebrations, a garland of quirky red hearts has been installed as a permanent lighting feature along the street. People are being encouraged to use the hashtag #LoveNorthgate to share their photos of the street and their love stories from Northgate.

Over the past few years, the project has uncovered many tales of love blossoming on Northgate and we are keen to know more. Whether it was meeting your partner at Mercers, remembering dates at The Ribblesdale, dinner at The Refreshment or just your love for the buildings or businesses, share your stories and show your love for Northgate by posting on social media.

#LoveNorthgate is part of a range of activity to help reinvigorate this historic area and support the businesses in it.

The Townscape Heritage Project is an ambitious £3 million project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and offers property owners up to 80% grants for building repairs and restoration.

The Project has recently completed phase I restoration works at the former Ribblesdale Hotel and will be starting work on shopfront improvements to 48 (Shh Bar) and 50 (Kwikcutz) Northgate in the next few months. A number of other property owners are also in the process of developing improvement schemes that will see Northgate brought back to its former glory over the next 12 months.