Former Chorley town centre bank set to become homes for young adults

The former RBS building in Chorley town centre is set to become home to young people taking their first steps into adult life.
The vacant RBS on Market Street, ChorleyThe vacant RBS on Market Street, Chorley
The vacant RBS on Market Street, Chorley

Plans for 14 self-contained, affordable accommodation homes, at the closed down bank have been submitted to Chorley Council.

The initiative has come through the town’s successful Inspire Youth Zone. The charity was officially opened in the town centre in May, 2018,

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Under plans, the ground floor of the Market Street building would be converted into two retail units and offices.

The official opening of the Inspire Youth Zone in ChorleyThe official opening of the Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley
The official opening of the Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley

The rental income from these will help sustain the charity’s running costs of accommodation, which will be on the upper two floors.

The former bank, which has been vacant for around 18 months, is now owned by Andy Turner MBE, chair of the Chorley Group, who is chair of the Inspire Youth Zone.

To support the plan, he is donating the accommodation space to the charity rent free.

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Janine Blythe​, chief executive of Inspire, said: “Having worked closely with young people, we have seen that it’s often a struggle for them to secure available and affordable rental accommodation.

“What we are proposing is something which will fill this void.”

She added: “We will be creating long term rental accommodation for 16-25-year-olds, with support from Inspire staff to help young people get used to living independently.

“It’s not just about a roof over their heads but helping them with things like tenancy skills, employability and other life skills.

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“Inspire Youth Zone is very fortunate so have some fantastic support from local businesses and the local community and we are hoping for the same with this project to help us get it up and running as soon as possible to support the young people of Chorley.”

Inspire plan to work in partnership with local agencies to ensure that the project meets local need.

Inspire, on Chapel Street in Chorley, offers everything from indoor climbing and sports, to dance and drama, with over 20 activities on offer each and every night.

The purpose-built facility, which opened two years ago, continues to offer somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to for young people aged eight-19 for just 50p per visit.

To show your support, you can donate via www.inspireyouthzone.org

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