Blackpool lands £40m 'levelling up' regeneration funding boost

The £300m Blackpool Central complex will include three indoor theme parks, an artisan food hall and boutique holiday apartments

A £40m government investment in Blackpool will help "future-proof" the seaside resort, the council has said.

The money will be used to demolish and relocate Blackpool Magistrates' Court, freeing up the Blackpool Central site for £300m of leisure developments.

Levelling Up Minister Michael Gove said it was "the biggest single regeneration project in Blackpool in all our lifetimes".

The courts are due to be relocated to a site on Devonshire Road.

Demolition of the current courthouse, along with the former police station which has been empty since 2018, will pave the way for investment in three indoor theme parks, a 200-room hotel, bars, restaurants and outdoor entertainment space, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Work began this summer on a 1,306-space multi-storey car park on the land which has been awaiting redevelopment since the former Blackpool Central railway station closed in 1964.

Mr Gove said: "This site, ever since the Beeching cuts, has been bereft of the investment it needs.

"At different times there have been different ideas, like new Labour's idea for a super casino, that have never got off the ground.

"Now at last you've got this government committed to Levelling Up, a great council team and some superb local MPs all working together wanting to make sure we can get the additional cash here."

The funds will be used to demolish and relocate Blackpool Magistrates' Court

Mr Gove said that while the investment was part of wider initiatives in Blackpool to improve housing and job opportunities, tourism remained a key economic driver.

He added: "Blackpool is on the up. We know the number of people visiting Blackpool has increased over the last couple of years.

"Behind London, it is the UK's top tourist destination. Blackpool is always going to be a tourist mecca, it is always going to be a hospitality super town.

"But it is also the case that we need to make sure Blackpool has the schools, the high-tech jobs and the high quality homes that its citizens deserve."

Blackpool is seeking a further £63m of Levelling Up funding towards regeneration projects including £40m in conjunction with Blackpool and the Fylde College.

Council leader Lynn Williams said: "The funding will enable this huge development in the heart of Blackpool to bring jobs, investment and visitors to our town.

"When finished, the scheme will be an amazing future-proofed attraction for all to enjoy for many years to come."

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