Blackpool Council has overwhelmingly voted in favour of the brand new Blackpool Central Development.
The £300m scheme will be the largest single investment in Blackpool for more than a century and is set to create around 1000 jobs and bring in an estimated 600,000 additional visitors to Blackpool each year.
The initial phase of the scheme was approved yesterday which includes a new 1,306-space multi-storey car park and Heritage Quarter.
Plans for a public events space, three indoor entertainment centres, a hotel, restaurants and additional leisure and hospitality space at Blackpool Central were also given the go-ahead.
The redevelopment of Blackpool Central will restore the site’s existing heritage buildings as the Grade-II listed former King Edward VII Picture House will be transformed into a new ‘Artisan Food Hall’, which spills out onto new outdoor space for ‘al fresco’ dining.
The King Edward VII pub will be refurbished into a new pub and hotel, creating a modern, family-friendly environment offering quality food and beverages.
The King Edward VII apartment building will be renovated into a high quality ‘Aparthotel’ keeping its original character.
Richard Fee, chief executive, Nikal, said:
“This is a key moment for levelling up Blackpool’s visitor economy post-COVID. Blackpool Central will help transform and futureproof the town’s tourism offer, and last night’s approval is an important step forward in our journey.
Our lead investor, Alan Murphy, has been behind the project from the beginning and is delighted to see the scheme coming to fruition.
“We have worked hard to ensure that the scheme will complement Blackpool’s current attractions and wider leisure offer.
This approach will help us to secure game changing benefits for Blackpool – drawing in 600,000 additional visitors a year and boosting annual spend in the local economy by £75m.
We are now looking forward to getting spades in the ground to build the multi-storey car park and Heritage Quarter, which are the catalysts for delivering our wider vision.”
Norbert Reichart, chief executive, Media Invest Entertainment, said:
“This decision is fantastic news for the rejuvenation of the town. Blackpool is the undisputed entertainment capital of the UK and our scheme will help cement the town as a must visit year-round destination for generations to come.
“The resurgence of staycations and the UK opening back up to international tourists creates huge opportunities moving forward to attract more visitors and encourage tourists to stay longer on their trips to Blackpool.
We believe that the Blackpool Central experience will be at the heart of maximising these opportunities.”
Construction on the car park and Heritage Quarter is expected to begin in 2022 and will take around 2 years to complete.
More planning application is being prepared for the wider scheme of the Blackpool Central Development.
Find out more details of the development HERE
