Compulsory purchase a 'last resort' in housing plan

Blackpool has a shortage of good-quality affordable housing

Compulsory purchase powers will be used "as a last resort" in an efforts to tackle poor housing, Blackpool Council has said.

Council leader, councillor Lynn Williams, said better housing has been an "obsession" of the council's for years and this move would be an important step in being able to achieve it.

Blackpool has serious issues with an oversupply of poor quality single-person accommodation, a limited choice of family housing in the some areas, and a shortage of good-quality affordable housing across the borough.

The authority wants to transform its inner area into a thriving, sustainable community with safe, high-quality housing and enhanced life opportunities.

Modern homes

This week its executive has been asked to reaffirm its commitment to tackling poor housing and deprivation.

This would include an agreement in principal to consider the use of compulsory purchase powers to secure land for redevelopment if reasonable efforts to buy land and property by agreement are unsuccessful, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports.

About £90m of investment was secured in March 2024 from Homes England through the Brownfield Infrastructure Land Fund, after years of discussion around Blackpool's housing challenges.

That money will finance land acquisition, demolition of housing, and the redevelopment of modern, energy-efficient homes.

Williams said: "Better housing has been an obsession of ours for years and that will not change.

"I understand that this is a very unsettling and difficult time for some people and we will do all we can to support residents directly affected.

"The regeneration of this area is critical, it will not only provide better homes and more green spaces, but it will also tackle social challenges like unemployment, health inequality and housing instability."