DEMOLITION of St Mary’s House will begin later this week in preparation for work starting on the Clergy Court, the next stage of Blackburn’s Cathedral Quarter development.

Borough regeneration director Brian Bailey will tell Blackburn with Darwen Council’s executive board on Thursday that the £33million development remains on schedule for the completion of phase one by December next year. Last week, the bulldozers moved in to demolish Jubilee House and work on the train/bus mini-interchange outside Blackburn railway station has also started.

Mr Bailey will also reveal that once restoration of the war memorial, including its roll or honour, is completed and it has been relocated in a more prominent place, there will be a rededication ceremony as part of the World War One commemorations and re-opening of the Cathedral Grounds in 2015 The flagship Cathedral scheme will include a hotel, clergy court and cloister garden, restaurants, shops, a public square, an office block and the bus interchange when phase one is completed, with a second office block due by late 2016.

Canon Andrew Hindley of Blackburn Cathedral said: “Everything is on track for completion on time.

“St Mary’s House will start to come down this week and work on the underground car park and new clergy court will begin in two or three weeks.”

Mr Bailey said: “The Cathedral Quarter is moving into the next phase. With any huge project of this nature, there are always going to be slight changes to the planned programme but the contractors have worked hard to keep on track.

”Phase One is on schedule to be completed next year."