Vault beneath former bank brought back into use after £250k renovations

The vault beneath the former Royal Bank of Scotland in Blackburn has reopened and will now house 1,500 safety deposit boxes full of valuables and cash.

The former Royal Bank of Scotland bank on the corner of Museum Street and King William Street closed in 2018 and had been remained vacant ever since.

Then in 2021, following a £250,000 extensive redevelopment project the chic Caffee Impresso launched on the spot.

The opening created 12 new jobs in the town and brought the old bank back into use after three years.

The ‘Blackburn Bank Vault’ venture has undergone a £250,000 renovation of its own which saw everything barring the vault itself removed.

Access to the vault is from a separate entrance in King William Street, next to the Caffe Impresso.

Once inside customers and staff must undergo several security checks, including facial recognition, before they are allowed anywhere near the safe.

Management at the site were keen to share the state-of-the-art security procedures in place for customers and staff.

Inside the Blackburn Bank Vault in the town centre (Image: Inside the Blackburn Bank Vault in the town centre)

A spokesperson for the venture said: “The vault has space allocated for 1,500 security boxes and there are also larger safes available on site.

“The building’s interior was completely gutted and the only part left of the old site was the safe itself.

“The extensive renovations have included a viewing room as well state-of-the-art security.

“We have had some good interest already from customers. With banks closing their branches there are few safety deposit sites left in the region. This is the only one in Blackburn and the local region as far as we are aware.”

The opening was attended by local councillors and guests (Image: The opening was attended by local councillors and guests)

At the official opening of the business Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Phil Riley was joined by former council leader Mohammed Khan and Cllr Zamir Khan as well guests from the local community.

The vault offers free insurance up to £10,000 and biometric scanning has been installed for additional security. The site is monitored 24 hours a day much like a bank and the boxes are fire resistant.

Small boxes are priced at £200 a year with much larger safety deposit boxes priced at £499.

Potential customers are able to book their appointments via the company’s website.