For those who moan about Blackpool town centre etc...

JJpool

JJpool

Well-known member
There's not actually an awful lot boarded up or empty shops in the town centre itself compared to some.

Some of the issues of other boarded up properties are certainly not unique to Blackpool.


 
Was in Southport yesterday on business, driving down Lord St and meandering up and down some side streets, I thought what a shitehole, reminded me of modern day Bond st Blackpool. Years ago it was like a bigger Lytham, Victorian buildings, independent shops, decent hotels. Loads of shops empty, pubs shut, dirty horrible place.
Lets not big up Blackpool compairing it to other towns, theres plenty to do still.
 
todayistheday said:
Was in Southport yesterday on business, driving down Lord St and meandering up and down some side streets, I thought what a shitehole, reminded me of modern day Bond st Blackpool. Years ago it was like a bigger Lytham, Victorian buildings, independent shops, decent hotels. Loads of shops empty, pubs shut, dirty horrible place.
Lets not big up Blackpool compairing it to other towns, theres plenty to do still.
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Yeah but the town centre itself has nowehere near as many abandoned shops as some do.

As for abandoned hotels there's plenty of them, infact this guy did a video on it. Some of what he showed has since changed, the leveling of Hackets, st chads, a few others.

Central drive areas are planned. Bond street is a complete mess and needs attention.

He also did a video on Barrow, which seemed to have a ridiculous amount of boarded up shops in the centre.

Blackpool compared to some places is massive. Miles of front to occupy whereas some places only have relatively smaller areas of interest.

The more to do no doubt, some being done though.
 
JJpool said:
Yeah but the town centre itself has nowehere near as many abandoned shops as some do.

As for abandoned hotels there's plenty of them, infact this guy did a video on it. Some of what he showed has since changed, the leveling of Hackets, st chads, a few others.

Central drive areas are planned. Bond street is a complete mess and needs attention.

He also did a video on Barrow, which seemed to have a ridiculous amount of boarded up shops in the centre.

Blackpool compared to some places is massive. Miles of front to occupy whereas some places only have relatively smaller areas of interest.

The more to do no doubt, some being done though.
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Is it enough to say, "our town is better than their town"?
Should we not be striving for the best town we can achieve, in the right manner?
 
Wizzerboy said:
Is it enough to say, "our town is better than their town"?
Should we not be striving for the best town we can achieve, in the right manner?
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It's only fair to judge in relation to how others in similar conditions are doing.

So yes you want more and better, but it also helps sometimes to realise what you have and actually, compared to some, what you have isn't so bad or an outlier afterall.
 
Yes there are still many boarded up shops in town, but I think the Centre's on the up.

A lot of funding is coming into the town thanks to the Council, private developers, and although it pains me to say, the Government.

The Holiday Inn development should be finished soon now, and there are major developments around Hounds Hill, and around the old bus station site.

I think the Tower building now looks fantastic, as does the seaward side of the tram tracks

There are some unsavoury characters hanging around in the town, but Blackpool by its very nature attracts a wide cross section.

A higher visible police presence wouldn't go amiss.

Having said all that, I'd never go into Blackpool at night, but that's another matter.
 
Bolton town centre is dying, Marks and Spencer have shut down. They built a big retail park at Horwich
with free parking which is always busy. The main problem apart from online shopping is the cost of parking,
if you think of probably the worst area in Blackpool Bond St, there is a lack of free parking. People travel
by car which is very different from when I was a kid, and my Mum would take us by bus into the centre of Blackpool.
Until councils wake up and start creating free parking in town centres they will continue to die.
 
Blackpool has so much to offer, shows, dancing, night life etc.

Great holiday resort and great town but being brought down by ** idiots who think they can behave like they want.

I had a guest say to me the other week that they thought where they lived was rough but it’s nothing like here, that’s embarrassing.

We are town centre and it’s a joke.

Anybody coming to the town should be banned from any benefit for 12 month’s minimum.

Work or uck off.
 
Wandering Turnip is a great channel, nice lad with a real interest in Northern history and a worrying fascination with chimneys.
 
Ollygon said:
Yes there are still many boarded up shops in town, but I think the Centre's on the up.

A lot of funding is coming into the town thanks to the Council, private developers, and although it pains me to say, the Government.

The Holiday Inn development should be finished soon now, and there are major developments around Hounds Hill, and around the old bus station site.

I think the Tower building now looks fantastic, as does the seaward side of the tram tracks

There are some unsavoury characters hanging around in the town, but Blackpool by its very nature attracts a wide cross section.

A higher visible police presence wouldn't go amiss.

Having said all that, I'd never go into Blackpool at night, but that's another matter.
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Their plan seems to be to improve and populate the town centre, we're seeing with the dwp office going up, as well as it creating a nice square with greenery, that with the multiversity will massively increase regular footfall.

Add in Blackpool central development, which not only improves a run down area, but attracts people all year round and it's a lot better for town.

They've also improved a lot of shop fronts etc and are still in the process of planting trees etc and greening up many area's, but the central are is obviously more difficult, as there no verges to quickly put trees in so it requires more work and cost.

But with a thriving town centre, it's basically the beating heart of the town, along with many other areas for tourism etc, if they're doing well the towns generally doing better. Add in things like the airport enterprise zone, which is expanding, assing more and more businesses and it's adding in more secure jobs outside of tourism. The 'gateways' into Blackpool are being improved and there is a lot of improvements happening or coming.

Don't forget though for the town centre blackpool bid do a good job seemingly. Far less visible issues with beggars etc than some other towns or cities, plus general improvements and patrols are working to make it better an safer.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0MecwA48rthv12MDn2JQmKC23eu4c3ojnusZa2qUmeUNyber2rXoTQKcWtVpZAB4tl&id=100063775871416

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0PYNmSW1G4nqv5jrsuM1DgcUh2SREzteEQ9ymk5oqsKXBaQonjfsNyRsAeihWkBeql&id=100063775871416
 
Slightly OT for this thread maybe but I saw this and I love stuff like this. Local people doing their bit to improve and enhance the area.


The Jubilee Gardens are a great part of the front that many people probably don't even know are there. The aim is to further enhance and add to areas like this.

HOME | North Blackpool

www.north-blackpool.co.uk www.north-blackpool.co.uk
 

Another one here, Grimsby.

It's sad to see, but it does put Blackpool in a slightly different light.

A lot of these places have much of the same issues Blackpool does, but nowhere near as many of the upsides, of which Blackpool has tons, that's the point I've always made.
 
todayistheday said:
Was in Southport yesterday on business, driving down Lord St and meandering up and down some side streets, I thought what a shitehole, reminded me of modern day Bond st Blackpool. Years ago it was like a bigger Lytham, Victorian buildings, independent shops, decent hotels. Loads of shops empty, pubs shut, dirty horrible place.
Lets not big up Blackpool compairing it to other towns, theres plenty to do still.
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Yes, Lord St is nothing like what it was.
 
Bit harsh on Southport ,yes Lord st isn’t what it was but one street back and they have loads of good big shops,we went for a couple of days and were pleasantly surprised by the place .
 
no9 said:
Blackpool has so much to offer, shows, dancing, night life etc.

Great holiday resort and great town but being brought down by ** idiots who think they can behave like they want.

I had a guest say to me the other week that they thought where they lived was rough but it’s nothing like here, that’s embarrassing.

We are town centre and it’s a joke.

Anybody coming to the town should be banned from any benefit for 12 month’s minimum.

Work or uck off.
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Yep so much to offer, time to get tougher on crime and the dickheads. Oh wait we can't as we're a soft nation and prisons are full. Needs sorting no doubt.
 
Danny Ocean said:
Bolton town centre is dying, Marks and Spencer have shut down. They built a big retail park at Horwich
with free parking which is always busy. The main problem apart from online shopping is the cost of parking,
if you think of probably the worst area in Blackpool Bond St, there is a lack of free parking. People travel
by car which is very different from when I was a kid, and my Mum would take us by bus into the centre of Blackpool.
Until councils wake up and start creating free parking in town centres they will continue to die.
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Yeah they do a quid parking at Xmas time but should do it at all times for locals, a pass or whatever, a quid would do.

People would then nip into town a lot more for shopping ams restaurants.
 

Certainly looks quite busy in town considering. Not a ghost town like some, with all the improvements still to come as well... 😉
 
JJpool said:
Yeah they do a quid parking at Xmas time but should do it at all times for locals, a pass or whatever, a quid would do.

People would then nip into town a lot more for shopping ams restaurants.
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And those working in town would park all day, something needs to be done re parking though.
 
todayistheday said:
And those working in town would park all day, something needs to be done re parking though.
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Given the amount of car parks with the Blackpool central and the old syndicate site too soon, there should be ample parking to do it.

Even if it was free or a small fee for a few hours to locas, to encourage shopping or at night to encourage restaurant use etc.
 
Seasideforever said:
Bit harsh on Southport ,yes Lord st isn’t what it was but one street back and they have loads of good big shops,we went for a couple of days and were pleasantly surprised by the place .
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My friend Andrew bought the Grand hotel about 6 years ago in Southport. He’s done an amazing renovation of the place and he’s returning it back to its Art deco glory.

If you do go to Southport go and take a look - head inside for a drink. My wife chose some of the fabrics in the main lounge so I have to say that of course 😉
 
JJpool said:

Another one here, Grimsby.

It's sad to see, but it does put Blackpool in a slightly different light.

A lot of these places have much of the same issues Blackpool does, but nowhere near as many of the upsides, of which Blackpool has tons, that's the point I've always made.
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Grim.
 
Apart from the superbly lit tower, I'm afraid the `greatest free show on earth' (the illuminations) are now terribly outdated.

Anyone who has visited places like Las Vegas (for example), will know what I mean. Those lights/lasers shows etc. are worlds apart.

Understandably, it's all about money that we we haven't got, I suppose.

It's a shame some rich arab/oligarch (or similar) hasn't fallen in love with Blackpool, and injected the equivalent of a good premiership player into the lights.
That amount of money would transform the illuminations, and attract the huge numbers of visitors, like it did in the old days.
 
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The high street of the future won't look like the high street of the past.

There has to be retail and entertainment space and people living there and offices which can accommodate WFH, so the type of easy in/easy out etc.

There's a lot of that already in Blackpool which puts it ahead of loads of other towns who are having to try and create the mix.

That said, I completely agree with the illuminations point - they are fantastic compared with what the rest of the UK have to offer - but there is so much more which could be done.
 
TSSeasider said:
The high street of the future won't look like the high street of the past.

There has to be retail and entertainment space and people living there and offices which can accommodate WFH, so the type of easy in/easy out etc.

There's a lot of that already in Blackpool which puts it ahead of loads of other towns who are having to try and create the mix.

That said, I completely agree with the illuminations point - they are fantastic compared with what the rest of the UK have to offer - but there is so much more which could be done.
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It seems we need multiple chaz shops on our high streets, do they get discount/relief on business rates ect. In future they should be forced to accommodate out of town retail parks and take their rubbish with them.
 
todayistheday said:
It seems we need multiple chaz shops on our high streets, do they get discount/relief on business rates ect. In future they should be forced to accommodate out of town retail parks and take their rubbish with them.
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They do get business rate relief from 80% - 100%

It's why, for example in Hartlepool, my charity was offered a town centre shop, rent free, because it saves Mars Pension Fund (the owners of the shopping centre) about £20k/yr which they have to pay if the unit is empty.
 
Blackpool Are Back! said:
Apart from the superbly lighted tower, I'm afraid the `greatest free show on earth' (the illuminations) are now terribly outdated.

Anyone who has visited places like e.g Las Vegas, will know what I mean. Those lightshows/lasers etc. are worlds apart.

Understandably, it's all about money, we haven't got, I suppose.

It's a shame some rich arab/oligarch (or similar) hasn't fallen in love with Blackpool, and injected the equivalent of a good premiership player into the lights.
That amount of money would transform the illuminations, and attract the huge numbers of visitors, like it did in the old days.
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You say that but the whole experience people still very much enjoy and people rate it highly in reviews.

Yes of course it won't match up to Vegas, but it has its own charm.

It does add in some light shows at this time of year which are more modern.

It continue to improve and adapt as time goes on and is one of tons of attractions.
 
TSSeasider said:
They do get business rate relief from 80% - 100%

It's why, for example in Hartlepool, my charity was offered a town centre shop, rent free, because it saves Mars Pension Fund (the owners of the shopping centre) about £20k/yr which they have to pay if the unit is empty.
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Farcical.
 

He's been back, some of the previous ones he visited have slightly changed, some haven't, although many are due to.

But shows some of the renovation work near the end.
 
Blackpool Are Back! said:
Apart from the superbly lit tower, I'm afraid the `greatest free show on earth' (the illuminations) are now terribly outdated.

Anyone who has visited places like Las Vegas (for example), will know what I mean. Those lights/lasers shows etc. are worlds apart.

Understandably, it's all about money that we we haven't got, I suppose.

It's a shame some rich arab/oligarch (or similar) hasn't fallen in love with Blackpool, and injected the equivalent of a good premiership player into the lights.
That amount of money would transform the illuminations, and attract the huge numbers of visitors, like it did in the old days.
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Do you really think so?😬
 
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