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Former Sorting Office, Edward Street, Blackpool, FY1 1BA

Blackpool Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

27 Oct 2026 at 09:47

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

23 Oct 2026 at 16:24

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Blackpool Borough Council is exploring the redevelopment of the former Royal Mail Sorting Office in Blackpool town centre, a property identified as part of the town’s regeneration programme. The work is a real-estate development opportunity, potentially involving the sale or development of a non-residential property. The building is neo-Renaissance in style, locally listed and within a conservation area; it has largely open-plan ground and upper floors, a fourth-floor structure in disrepair, and a rear façade also in disrepair. A large inner courtyard is shared with the separate Old Post Office site, which is Grade II listed and outside this opportunity. The Council expects the courtyard to be divided to support both sites’ redevelopment. The property is in Blackpool, Lancashire.

The process is at planning: the Council is undertaking preliminary market engagement to shape its requirements and approach, alert potential suppliers, identify capable developers, gauge interest and obtain feedback. This is not an invitation to tender, and engagement responses will not be used to score, shortlist or exclude suppliers; taking part is not required to bid in a future procurement. The Council expects the development period to run from March 2027 to March 2030. The engagement expression-of-interest submission date is 27 November 2026 at noon. The wider site received an £8 million government regeneration grant in 2023 on the basis of a proposed hotel development; that grant covered both the former sorting office and the separate Old Post Office. The Council may change the engagement information before procurement begins.

This early engagement is relevant to property developers and organisations able to deliver the redevelopment of a prominent, substantial town-centre building, including suppliers experienced in bringing older buildings back into use. The property’s local listing and conservation-area location mean a proposal will need to respond to its heritage setting, while the disrepair to parts of the building presents redevelopment challenges. The Council is seeking to hear from suppliers who may be able to deliver the scheme and to gather market feedback to help develop the requirements. Suppliers with experience coordinating redevelopment alongside a neighbouring, separately planned historic property may also find the context relevant, particularly because the courtyard must be apportioned between the two sites. The Council’s stated basis for the grant was a hotel proposal, but the future requirements have not yet been settled.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Former Sorting Office, Edward Street, Blackpool, FY1 1BA

Notice Description

On behalf of Blackpool Council (The Council), CBRE (working with Walker Sime) are undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) in respect of the development opportunity known as the Former Sorting Office, Blackpool Town Centre. Blackpool has an exciting PS2bn+ Regeneration Programme underway across the town centre, with this property identified as a key part of driving Blackpool's economic growth to create employment and new development. This property was formerly home to a Royal Mail Sorting Office which closed in 2015. It is part of a wider freehold site which is locally known as the Old Post Office, which is a separate Grade II Listed property, which has separate development proposals and is therefore not included in this opportunity. The whole site, which includes both the subject Former Sorting Office and Old Post Office, secured an PS8m grant from the Government's "Capital Regeneration Project" (CRP) Fund " in 2023, on the basis of a proposed Hotel development. Since being awarded the grant, the Council has acquired the site and undertook certain remedial works. The property is neo renaissance styled, which has attractive prominence and scale. Whilst not listed by Historic England, it is locally listed and located within Conservation Area. The ground and upper floors of the property are largely open plan. An additional structure was added to the roof to form a fourth floor, which is in a state of disrepair. The front facade is in a reasonable condition, with the rear facade in a state of disrepair. The site includes a large inner courtyard, and it is envisaged that this will be split appropriately between the subject property (Former Sorting Office) and the Old Post Office, subject to the requirements of both redevelopments. The Council's objectives of this PME are to: 1) support development of requirements and approach 2) alert the market of the upcoming opportunity 3) identify suppliers that may be able to deliver the scheme 4) gauge the level of market interest 5) seek feedback to a number of areas of the development opportunity Further detail of the development opportunity is available in the Former Sorting Officer Development Opportunity Brochure and supporting Expression of Interest Questionnaire which is available at the link provided in this notice. All enquiries and further information can be obtained from: - Email: luke.wilson2@cbre.com - Brochure Link: https://indd.adobe.com/view/2de17a38-b227-4689-8289-021415916a70 The Council reserves the right to amend any of the information contained within any of the PME documents prior to commencement of the procurement process and publication of the Tender Notice.

Planning Information

This PME exercise is being carried out pursuant to Section 16 of the Procurement Act, 2023. Please see the 'Descriptions' section of this notice for the Council's objectives of this PME exercise. The information submitted will not be used to evaluate, score, rank, shortlist or exclude any parties from any potential future procurement process. Participation in this PME is not a prerequisite for participation in any future procurement and organisations that do not submit an Expression of Interest will still be able to participate in any formal tender process. A data room will be made available for parties to access. The Expression of Interest Form, a copy of which will be available in the data room, will specifically set out information requested by the Council. Parties will be able to submit further information & documents with any Expression of Interest. The deadline for PME Expressions of Interest submissions is 12.00pm on Friday 27th November 2026. Submissions are to be made to CBRE. Please see the General Conditions set out in Marketing brochure which apply to this PME.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078f86
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101347-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

70 - Real estate services

CPV Codes

70110000 - Development services of real estate

70123200 - Sale of non-residential estate

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2027 - 1 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Blackpool Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BLACKPOOL
Postcode
FY1 1NB
Postcode Area
Blackpool
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD4 Lancashire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD42 Blackpool
Delivery Location
TLD42 Blackpool
Local Authority
Blackpool
Electoral Ward
Talbot
Westminster Constituency
Blackpool South

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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