Future of former Lancashire Subway secured six years after closing for good
A restaurant has been secured for the former Subway building in Blackburn town centre.
The licensed South Indian eaterie will take the premises at 3 to 7 Blakey Moor until 2020 occupied by the sandwich and fast food chain.
And Blackburn with Darwen Council is also forging ahead with finding a high‑quality licensed food and drink operator for the main Blakey Moor Terrace building at numbers 11 to 27 after its renovation.
The authority hopes to have both restaurants open in time for the reopening of the 105-year-old King George’s Hall opposite in the autumn after its £13.5million refit in the Autumn.
The news about the Blakey Moor restaurants comes in an update on progress on Blackburn’s £50m cultural and leisure quarter and other town centre developments to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s full Council Forum on Thursday.
Borough growth boss Cllr Quesir Mahmood tells his councillor colleagues in a report: “Targeted marketing of Blakey Moor Terrace continues, with a focus on securing a high‑quality food and drink operator.
“Following a pause in works over the winter, the refurbishment of neighbouring 3–7 Blakey Moor Terrace will resume in March.
“A restaurant tenant has been secured, and works are expected to be completed in time for an opening in summer.
“Significant progress continues to be made on the works to repair and refurbish King George’s Hall.
“Having made substantial progress on the external works, which include replacing the roof, structural repairs along with refurbishing or replacing the windows, work is now focused on the refurbishment of the internal spaces.
“These include the foyer, main hall, bars, WC’s and the Windsor Suite. The construction programme will enable the complex to reopen in Autumn 2026, with work underway to develop the programme for late 2026 and into 2027 and beyond.
“Redevelopment of the Making Rooms is progressing well and remains on schedule for completion towards the end of the summer.
“The project will create additional basement and rooftop spaces for creative workshops and an’ Eco Lab’, positioning the facility as one of the UK’s leading makerspaces.
“During construction, the Making Rooms team has temporarily relocated to Town Hall Street, while other creative tenants are using council office accommodation on Church Street.”
The redesigned Blakey Moor Terrace building offers a single 3,172 square foot space for a restaurant and bar with a 1,400sq ft outdoor area.
It is a key part of the National Lottery funded £3.8m Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage project at the heart of the new Blackburn cultural and leisure quarter.