Plan to turn Blackpool former post office into hotel approved

The new plans are for a 150-room hotel with an extension with a roof top terrace

The latest set of proposals to convert a Grade II-listed former post office into a hotel have been approved.

Blackpool Council has agreed an updated application by Ashall Projects to redevelop the building between Abingdon Street and Edward Street.

It is the fifth time planning permission has been granted after a series of revisions.

The new plans are for a 150-room hotel with a rooftop terrace and a three-storey rear extension.

Internal and external alterations will be made to the post office and former sorting office buildings and there will be terraced areas in the courtyard.

The post office closed in 2007 and planning permission was first approved in November 2021 for a 144 room hotel.

The £26m scheme was awarded £8m from the government's Levelling Up Fund in March this year after twice being turned down for funding.

The Abingdon Street building has been empty since 2007

In approving the application this time, town hall planners said in their report: "An additional large hotel within the town centre would support other businesses in the area such as shops, restaurants and cafes, leisure facilities, cultural and tourist attractions.

"The development would be one of many regeneration projects within Blackpool and will assist in the re-branding of the town centre, strengthening it as cultural, leisure and business destination for residents and visitors."

They added: "The proposal seeks to re-use a Grade II Listed building thus preserving the heritage asset of the former post office and sorting office for future generations to enjoy."

The hotel includes a ground floor restaurant and bar with frontages on both Abingdon Street and Edward Street, with the design incorporating the old post office counter, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.