In 2020, the government opened applications for a new Towns Fund, designed to give areas across the UK the chance to invest in projects that would benefit their local communities. In October, Blackpool was one of the first 7 towns to receive a funding amount, or ‘Town Deal’ and received £39.5m, the highest amount received by any town in the first round.
What is Blackpool Central?
Blackpool Central is an ambitious £300m entertainment and leisure development a short walk from Blackpool’s famous Golden Mile. It’s the biggest, single investment in the town’s tourism industry for more than a century, offering world-class family attractions.
Located on the current Central Car Park site, plans are underway for a scheme that will include:
- The UK’s first flying theatre
- Cutting edge multimedia exhibition & virtual reality gaming experiences
- New music venue and event square
- New hotels
- 150 new residential apartments
- 1,300 space multi-storey car park
- Artisan market and new food and drink outlets
The ambition is for Blackpool to be a year-round resort with plenty for locals and visitors to enjoy. With high quality, innovative attractions this too will provide better and long term job opportunities for our residents.
How will the Town Deal funding help to deliver this project?
The Town Deal funding will help to relocate Blackpool’s magistrates and civil courts so that the existing buildings can be demolished to enable the full delivery of the multi-million pound leisure scheme. A planning application for the first enabling stage and multi-storey car park is due to be lodged spring 2021 and Council permissions are in place so the site can be cleared ready for development.
This part of the Town Deal project proposes to develop a new courts building in central Blackpool on derelict land at the junction of Talbot Road and Devonshire Road. The site was secured by the Council in 2020 for the potential relocation of the courts with the benefit of some Government funding. If the new courts go ahead on the Devonshire Road site, it will bring about a new lease of life to a piece of land that has been vacant for around 15 years.
What benefits will the development bring locally?
This development will open up the Blackpool Central site to deliver the following:
- £300m in private investment
- 1,000 jobs created
- 1.3m sq ft of new floorspace
- Over 1,300 new car parking spaces
- 600,000 additional visitors per year to Blackpool
- Anticipated increased local spend of £75m annually
You can have your say now on the projects proposed for the Towns Fund by commenting and reacting through the website below. The Town Deal team will also be reaching out to interested groups and organisations to hold more detailed discussions.
https://blackpooltownsfund.commonplace.is/
You can also read more about the Town Deal on Blackpool Council’s website and for more information on the wider regeneration projects already taking place in Blackpool, or to register for free updates, visit www.blackpool.gov.uk/BetterBlackpool.
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