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Arron Darwen of Darwen Construction has completed a £300,000 renovation of a former tile warehouse near the Talbot Gateway regeneration area.

It is one of a series of projects his firm has done in conjunction with Blackpool Housing Company and My Blackpool Home to create much needed modern living space in town.

The six flats, four two-bedroomed and the rest single-bedroomed, just behind the Sainsbury’s store, are already being snapped up.

A former coach house on George St has been turned into apartments by builder Arron Darwen (right) and Blackpool Housing Company. David Galvin (centre) from Blackpool Housing Company cuts the ribbon

Arron said: “It was a year long project but then we had the Covid situation which knocked it back four months.

“Because its an old building the floor was out 600mm from front to back, the building was leaning by six inches, the roof was completely gone, the floors were rotten in paces, so it took a lot of work.

“It has a new roof on it the frontage has been rebuilt.

“Its a former 1800s coaching house. The horse and carts went on the ground floor, the accommodation was on the middle floor and the top was where they stored the hay bails.

The former coach house on George Street which until last year was derelict

“I found an original winch bracket, so I powder coated it and bolted it to the top of the building to add character.

“It has been derelict for seven years so this is a great improvement in an area which is up and coming. People are moving in. We only completed last Tuesday and they have already filled four.”

Darwen construction was set up by Arron at the age of 22 with help from the Princes’ Trust and Blackpool Council’s Get Started team.

He started with just a small van and tool kit and has built it up to having four offices and depot at the Red Marsh industrial estate.

Prior to the revamp it was a former tiles warehouse

“We are on our third block of flats. Working with the council and My Blackpool Housing, they have had 18 flats from us in the past 18 months. We normally have around 10 to 12 people working with us.

“Now we are looking at something bigger.”

He said he had found the Get Started scheme very useful starting out in business and he thanked them, the council’s housing team and all his staff who worked on the project.

Eyesore tile warehouse transformed into flats to boost Blackpool regeneration