A concerned resident says he is struggling to find a new home as a council seeks to acquire land for a multiversity project, forcing residents to leave the area.

Planning Inspector Phillip Ware will oversee an eight-day public inquiry into a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) requested by Blackpool Council. to clear the land for the project.

The council has already acquired 70 per cent of the site between Cookson Street, Milbourne Street, George Street and Grosvenor Street, but 13 objections to the CPO were submitted, triggering the public inquiry.

One resident said he had been looking for alternative accommodation in the city center “for months” but couldn’t find anything suitable.

The George Street resident, who did not want to be named, said he felt very concerned that they were in the CPO area and would have to move.

“We are both disabled, we have a mentally ill child, no one helps us, we are in the dark,” he said.

The man, who has lived on the city center street for 10 years, said: “We were supposed to be out by August, there are houses that are closed, everyone is leaving one by one , we don’t feel safe with empty properties on one side or the other.” of us.

“This is a rented property and the owner wants us to leave so he can sell, he has no interest in us at all, it’s just a number in his head now.”

He said the family had been looking for another home in the city center “for months.”

“We can’t find it anywhere,” he said. “There’s nothing in our budget and there’s nothing available for what we need.

“We have good memories here, so it’s a shame we have to go.

“We have everything here, we have the dentist here, the doctor there, the child’s school is right there and all the shops.”

Jeweler Andrew Clayton said hearing about the CPO left him “surprised”.

“We were looking forward to the new building across the road, which has a lunch pool, and were looking to redevelop the premises we had,” he said.

The business recently had to move from Cookson Street to Topping Street after 61 years due to multiversity plans.

“I don’t think the council understands the costs it takes to move to another store with security and bespoke display windows,” Mr Clayton said. “We financed everything ourselves.

“We are closer to the city so we have more footfall, but there has been the benefit of having more parking on Cookson Street.”

Nick Gerrard, head of growth and prosperity at the council, told a recent meeting of the tourism, economy and communities scrutiny committee that the council needed to demonstrate the CPO was in the best interests public by providing fair compensation to those who were displaced.

Some objections have been withdrawn as negotiations continue to purchase the property, with the hearing scheduled to hear testimony from the remaining objectors and the council.

The public inquiry will take place at the Hôtel Impérial on the Promenade Nord, from November 12 to 15.

It is then expected to reopen from December 3 to 6, but if all the evidence has been heard it could close sooner.

The inspector will review all the evidence before publishing his decision, which is expected to happen early in the new year.

Members of the public may attend the hearing.

If the decision allows the CPO to move forward, it is hoped that work will begin on the project in May or June next year, provided the entire site is assembled.