Blackpool - bouncing back?

By Charlie Rattigan

When I have time to watch YouTube, there is one channel I regularly come back to. Benjamin Rich, aka Bald and Bankrupt, is a British travel vlogger mainly known for his interest in post-Soviet states and trips to some of the most dangerous places in the world. However, he recently published a video of him travelling around the UK which shocked some regular viewers such as myself. 

In the video, “Mr Bald” visits the seaside resort of Blackpool to get a taste of the local culture and showcase what the once booming tourist destination is like today. Meeting and chatting with the locals and experiencing a night out on the town, the video is light-hearted and enjoyable. On the other hand, it reveals the true struggle of Britain’s “left behind” coastal towns and the urgent need for targeted investment and regeneration to breathe new life into them. 

Interestingly, last week in his first major intervention since being reappointed as Secretary of State, Michael Gove announced new funding designed to kickstart a £300 million private sector-led regeneration programme for Blackpool. The Blackpool Central project had previously stalled due to a lack of funding to relocate the Magistrates and County Courts and was in jeopardy of being scrapped. However, a £40 million cash injection from DHLUC for this relocation has catalysed the wider plans. 

Formerly the Central Railway Station, the site will feature three separate indoor entertainment centres, a major new public square (itself fit for live events), further leisure and hospitality space and a multi-storey car park. Bordering the site, existing heritage buildings will be restored to create a mix of new hotels, restaurants and an artisan food market within a thriving new Heritage Quarter. 

The “world-class leisure destination” scheme will create an estimated 1,000 jobs and attract 600,000 more visitors to the town each year - a massive boost to the local economy. In his statement, Gove stated: “Blackpool is a town full of life, energy, and immense potential but for too long it has been overlooked and its communities undervalued.”

This will be welcome news in the region as it faces a very real employment conundrum. As the Financial Times concluded in 2017, the town has ‘exported healthy skilled workers and imported the unskilled, the unemployed and the unwell’. Local jobs for local people will be the ultimate goal. 

Like many coastal towns in the UK, many of Blackpool’s jobs ebb and flow with the tourist season. The Blackpool Central project will aim to boost the local economy all year-round while also delivering much-needed regeneration projects to revitalise the town centre. 

Being the largest single investment in Blackpool for over a century, it is clear that Gove won’t be afraid to spend big to pursue the government’s levelling up agenda. Revival of “forgotten towns” is the clear policy direction with many councils across the country waiting in the wings for much-needed investment. With recent events in mind, greater stability in government is needed to make sure long-term funding projects such as these are seen through.

This article was originally published in Advocacy Local’s Politics and Planning Newsletter. To receive our fortnightly newsletter straight to your inbox, subscribe here: http://eepurl.com/htOBCv