Some standard stuff, interview a few down and outs, a guy who's on the piss with a can in hand who's actually part of the problem, see a few of the well known areas that sadly are on show for all to see if they look, not hidden away in some estate where no-one goes. He admits he looks for this sort of stuff and will find it.
Nothing new learned for us lot who know it, just need the big projects to get done and also the regeneration of the inner areas. He did say that the town centre is decent, the front, but we knew that. But that is the plan, the focus had to be to get the front done, as that is the heart of Blackpool and if that's shite it would have killed the town and then there'd really be deprivation if tourism failed, same with the centre. Get that thriving and it'll help the town thrive, along with it booming from tourism as a whole as well.
People always say... why do they spend money on the centre and not here, (even though there is money spent elsewhere too, like the airport enterprise zone for eg) well that's why in the main, as the benefits will spread from there. The vast majority who do visit won't visit all those run down areas, but they will the front and centre, so clearly they are a priority.
There are though plans to improve those problem areas, the revoe masterplan and central drive along with Blackpool central. Bond street was mentioned recently etc. As said in the other thread there should be some sort of operation face-lift, where houses etc are painted, empty properties are at least boarded up with colourful boards, like they do in some cities, until something can be done, it improves the appearance at least.
Will be interesting to see what they say the 90 million just acquired will go towards, as it's going towards better housing and neighbourhoods in the inner areas, not tourism.
As for some of the scum, you can only improve prospects, living conditions and if people still want to drink themselves to oblivion then so be it. Get tough on crime, there was an improvement in anti-social behaviour due to this scheme.
Since the launch of Operation Centurion, police say there has been a 42 per cent reduction in recorded incidents with 29 arrests
www.lancs.live
Improving housing, streets with greenery, better education in schools and better further education, more jobs, thriving tourism and centre, it'll mean the next generation are better off and are also less likely to leave, which then means less come in from elsewhere to replace them.
It'll take time to fully regenerate and begin to undo some of the inner decline, but for me it's underway or in the pipeline and will pay off when the big projects are done and in future years. They'll always be poor areas but you can lessen the deprivation, make it less obvious, visually improve the areas and go from there in the short term and start to change things in the longer term.