The offices would provide a new area for airport administration staff, as well as an improved security building and executive terminal for up to 45 passengers.

The £620,000 modular building project will be constructed by Spacebuilder Ltd, which has experience constructing within airports at Liverpool John Lennon, Exeter and Bournemouth. The new building is expected to be complete in the summer.

Once the new building is open, work will take place to demolish the old offices and prepare the land for a new data centre, marking the start of plans to develop Silicon Sands – a low carbon data centre campus, creating high tech jobs.

The current administration and security offices are both well over 20 years old and need modernising. The new building would allow a combined service offering an arrivals and departures area, as well as a security checkpoint to host new X-ray and scanning equipment recently purchased by the airport.

A planning application was submitted to Fylde Council in July and approved in September of last year.

Cllr Gillian Campbell, chair of the board at Blackpool Airport Operations, said:

Once built, the old office will be demolished to form the site of a first data centre building as part of the Silicon Sands development. A planning application for the data centre is expected to be submitted next year.

Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Economy at Blackpool Council said:

“We’re working hard to make sure that we can support an airport that is commercially successful and a leading transport hub, and one that drives the growth of our Enterprise Zone. “These offices would give the airport more scope to attract new business and customers. It also allows us to nurture the growth of the airport, while releasing the land for high end data centre companies to invest in Silicon Sands and create well paid jobs for local people.”

Funding to build the new airport offices and assemble the land is being provided by Blackpool Council, with support from a grant as part of the Lancashire Combined County Authority devolution deal announced earlier last month.

Blackpool Council reacquired Blackpool Airport from Balfour Beatty in September 2017 for £4.25m via its ownership of Blackpool Airport Operations Ltd and Blackpool Airport Property Ltd. The purchase saved the airport from risk of permanent closure and secured its long-term future as part of the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

For more information about Blackpool Airport, visit www.blackpoolairport.com

A clear vision is set out by the framework which will see the central regeneration area being transformed into a vibrant, desirable and sustainable neighbourhood, with high quality new and refurbished housing. There will be a mix of house types and streets, creating homes and areas that residents will love and take pride in.

Blackpool Council was awarded £90m back in March this year from central government via Homes England, aimed at tackling housing issues in the inner areas of Blackpool

Three key objectives will underpin the approach to the redevelopment. They are community, desirability and sustainability.

The framework being presented to the council’s executive suggests that central Blackpool should be the initial area of focus for housing regeneration and explains the solid evidence to support that.

The framework also outlines the overarching ambition for transformational change across the area over a 15+ year period.

Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council said:

The framework outlines key design principles including:

• Celebrating Blackpool’s heritage and culture
• Creating building and spaces for a sustainable future
• Housing a new community – transforming the choice and quality of homes
• Celebrating the seaside
• Creating healthy and activity communities – safe streets, green spaces and ease of movement
• Creating a vibrant, diverse and sustainable local centre

Since receiving the funding Initial activity has focused on community engagement.

Nearly 3000 homes have been visited and asked to fill out a questionnaire and share their views. A questionnaire is also available on the council’s website for people to give information and their views. A formal consultation on the next steps is planned for 2025.

Find out more information on housing regeneration

Yesterday the Statutory Instrument which will enable the formation of the new body was laid in Parliament.

The first shadow meeting of the organisation was also held at County Hall in Preston, in preparation for the first full meeting of the authority in the new year.

The two major developments were announced at a reception attended by businesses and major stakeholders to celebrate Lancashire Day.

Already government has released £20million of funding agreed as part of the devolution deal to create the new CCA, which was signed last November and confirmed in September.

The money will fund a number of projects supporting place-based economic regeneration, innovation-led growth and net zero ambitions.

Further powers and funding for adult education, transport, employment and skills will also be unlocked when the new authority comes into being.

The CCA aims to help address years of historically low investment in the area and provide a platform for accelerated growth.

It will provide a single body for the whole of the to champion its interests, deliver on local priorities and provide greater local accountability and decision-making powers.

In partnership with business and public service providers, including district councils, it aims to give Lancashire a stronger voice on the regional and national stage, ensuring greater benefit from funding and other opportunities.

An eight week public consultation showed the majority of respondents, including all four of Lancashire Universities as well as businesses across every sector of industry and the economy, supported the creation of the CCA.

Councillor Phillippa Williamson, leader of Lancashire County Council, said:

Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

Councillor Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said:

Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackpool Council have been working together to create a new CCA to give local leaders extra powers to tackle key priorities such as better public transport, boosting economic prosperity and improving employment and skills.

The schemes proposed to receive a portion of the £20million funding are:

• £6million for an Innovation Hub at Samlesbury Enterprise Zone
• £2million for Silicon Sands – Low carbon data centre, Blackpool Enterprise Zone £6million for the Innovation Quarter, Blackburn town centre
• £4million for new town centre offices for the Department for Work and Pensions, Blackpool town centre
• £2million for Cosy Homes in Lancashire – a £41million energy efficiency home upgrade grant scheme which benefits all areas of the county

A new selective licensing scheme to tackle the poor conditions of some privately rented properties in the inner area of town has been approved.

The scheme has received approval by the Secretary of State following a ten week consultation with a range of stakeholders across the town including tenants and landlords, where 61.2% of tenants and 18.8% of landlords were in favour of the proposal.

The selective licensing scheme includes the inner area of Blackpool, covering the eight inner wards of Bloomfield, Brunswick, Claremont, Talbot, Tyldesley, Warbreck, Waterloo and Victoria, which covers approximately 11,000 privately rented properties.

Selective licensing aims to improve housing standards in the area by addressing poor management practices being offered by some private landlords.

Under the scheme, all landlords within the designated area will be required to adhere to a number of licence conditions around property management, tenancy management and fire safety.

Every house, flat or room that is used as private rented accommodation within the designated area is required to apply for a licence, subject to the relevant exemptions, when the scheme begins on 1 April 2025.

The standard licence fee for a single dwelling starts from £347 for the full five year period of the scheme, making it just £69.40 per year for a single dwelling.

Significant discounts are included in this fee for landlords meeting the Blackpool standard and those applying early, within the first 3 months of the scheme starting.

The licence fee for a single dwelling increases to £772 for landlords not meeting the Blackpool standard or eligible for any of the other discounts.

The selective licensing scheme will be self-financing. No profit is generated for the council as a result of the scheme. The fees for the licence go back into running the scheme and supporting landlords as much as possible.

The need for improvements to housing in this area was also highlighted in the Decent Homes Enforcement Pilot taking place in the town. 679 inspections were carried out during the first year of the pilot, with 67% of those properties containing at least one Category 1 hazard.

The selective licensing scheme will allow for more resource to inspect properties, helping to improve and raise standards of rental properties on offer in the inner area of town.

Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment, said:

Landlords with properties within the designated area will be able to apply for a licence on the Blackpool Council website when the scheme begins on 1 April 2025.

More information on the selective licensing scheme or to check which ward a property falls into

Abingdon Street Market’s retail area has already reached one year of trading, as of November 2024.

Popular with locals and visitors of all ages, the retail side of the market – with ten independent vendors, along with the dedicated food hall, has made a significant impact on the town centre.

Blackpool Council used £3.6m of funding from Getting Building Fund to purchase the historic market building, carrying out a full internal refurbishment prior to its opening in May 2023.

The opening of the food hall and retail area at the new-look Abingdon Street Market was an element of a much wider plan to regenerate Blackpool town centre, with aims to boost the economy, create jobs and provide more things to see and do.

The team behind the operations of the market, The Little Blackpool Leisure Company, have worked hard to produce a successful venue with a wide-ranging offer. The current retail vendors include:

• The Crypt: horror themed shop, offering clothing, make up, jewellery and shoes (new for 2024)
• Funky Global: ethically sourced home decor, tables, mirrors, mosaics, pottery
• General Store: cheese, fresh fruit and veg, craft beers, soaps, candles, ambient items, greetings cards
• Happi Place: fun, alternative pop culture and nostalgic themed paper goods, jewellery, pins, cards and prints from UK based makers (new for 2024)
• Her Brand: offering eyebrows and lash treatments as well as make up and tooth gem applications (new for 2024)
• Inertial: vinyl records, music merchandise, prints, CDs, cassettes, turntables
• Kel’made: custom wooden and acrylic pieces made with a laser and made to order gifts (new for 2024)
• Oisin Vintage: vintage clothing, crochet clothing, jewellery, wedding dresses, accessories and shoes
• Peppermint Jones: home accessories, artwork, candles, soft furnishings, interior accessories
• The Strand Collective: art supplies, books, cameras, film camera repairs and servicing, camera loans

Delivering a diverse and successful events programme across both the food hall and market area, the monthly ‘Blackpool Makers Market’ (hosted by The Strand Collective) and the quarterly Blackpool Record Fair (hosted by Inertial Sounds) are some examples of key events taking place in the retail side, each drawing hundreds of visitors to the market.

These events take place within the markets dedicated ‘Space to Create’, hosting around 70 community events alone in the past year. Ranging from pop-up shops, children’s parties, themed markets and fairs, community events, charity workshops, art and photography workshops and more – the events programme at Abingdon Street Market has really made an impact.

The Space to Create area is currently free to hire, and the team are looking to expand the selection of events held in the retail side of the market next year.

First birthday celebrations

Join Abingdon Street Market as they celebrate their first birthday for retail with a weekend of events:

Live music will be performing on the retail acoustic stage on Sunday 24 November, 12:30pm to 3:30pm, with local singers Sophie and Tanya.

The Strand Collective will also be hosting the Blackpool Makers Market on Sunday 24 November, 10.00am to 5.00pm, with 12 additional traders expected.

Birthday treats! Some of the retailers will be offering exclusive discounts, and there may be some free birthday treats available at the General Store (subject to availability).

If you cannot make the birthday celebrations, do not worry – the Christmas at Abingdon Street Market programme is now in full festive swing.

Christmas

With six full weeks of dedicated events, markets, live music, choir performances, free kids Christmas parties and bottomless brunches – there is something for all the family.

The retail side of the market will be offering late night shopping again this year. The dates for this are 5, 12, 19 December, 10am – 7pm. The 5 and 12 December will also include local school choirs performing Christmas carols inside the food hall from 5pm.

Councillor Mark Smith, Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment said:

Jake Whittington, Managing Director of The Little Blackpool Leisure Company Limited, said:

If you are interested in learning more about trading / general opportunities available at Abingdon Street Market, please contact Little Blackpool Leisure Limited.

Abingdon Street Market has received £3.6 million from the UK Government through the Getting Building Fund and £300,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £90k from the UK Government through the Historic England Heritage Action Zone programme.

The family party will take place within the Christmas By The Sea village on the Tower Festival Headland between 3.00pm and 6.00pm on Tuesday 31 December.

The outdoor celebrations will take place in and around the Comedy Carpet, and will include a Bavarian-style oompah band and other entertainment for children and parents, culminating in a synchronised fireworks and projection show set to music.

The celebration marks the end of a year that has seen record crowds turning out to Blackpool’s programme of free events, including Air Show Weekend, Illuminations Switch-On night, World Fireworks, Lightpool Festival and the new Halloween Monster Hunt.

The magical Christmas By The Sea village was opened on November 15 by Strictly Come Dancing professionals, Carlos Gu, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu and Neil Jones. It is open daily from noon (bar Christmas Day) until the end of the extended Illuminations season on January 5.

With a free-to-use skating rink as its centrepiece, the village includes festive light installations and projection shows, themed log cabins with a wide range of festive food and drink, artificial snowfalls, sparkling trees and Christmas tram rides.

The village also includes a wide range of themed children’s attractions, a helter skelter, 100ft-long snow slide and the return of the Star Flyer, which, at 260ft tall, is one of Europe’s tallest swing rides.

On New Year’s Eve, the village will be open from noon until 9.00pm. The Illuminations will shine until 1.00am.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, added:

Last year, Christmas By The Sea, which has been rated one of the top Christmas destinations in the UK, once again delivered record crowds on the seafront during the winter months.

The village and New Year’s Eve celebration form part of a resort-wide festive programme which includes attractions, grottos, late night shopping and a special discounted parking offer giving four hours of parking for just £2 on most Blackpool Council car parks.

Full details of rink opening times and other Christmas By The Sea attractions

The proposed works will see the construction of a rock revetment on top of the existing defence structure, and the construction of five Y-shaped rock groynes on the beach.

The consultation will open on Tuesday 5 November and close Friday 29 November. Residents are encouraged to give their views on the scheme, which they can do online  or by visiting Brew Cafe at Anchorsholme Park and completing a paper feedback form.

Display boards featuring information on the proposed works will be available for public view at Brew Cafe throughout the consultation period. The contractors Balfour Beatty, alongside representatives from the council, will be holding information events at the cafe on Monday 18 November between 12 noon and 7.00pm and Wednesday 27 November between 10.00am and 3.00pm.

Residents are encouraged to come along, ask questions and provide feedback on the scheme in person.

The existing coastal defences at Anchorsholme opened in 2017. Following a storm, a defect was identified which the contractor agreed to address, at their expense, by providing rock armour along the revetment wall.

Over the last two years, exploratory works have been carried out to inform the business case for coast protection and beach management along the coastline. These investigations have identified accelerated beach lowering in Anchorsholme. In order to retain the beach and sand, it is proposed that rock groynes are installed during the construction period of the rock armour works to the revetment wall.

The council has been allocated funding from the Environment Agency for the construction of the rock groynes. Construction work is likely to start in summer 2025 and continue until 2027.

Cllr Jane Hugo, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said:

To get in touch with the team with your questions email anchorsholme@blackpool.gov.uk

The Multiversity campus will provide a new home for Blackpool and The Fylde College, bringing up to 3,000 students and staff into Blackpool town centre.

The 115,000 sq ft building will include five floors of education space to deliver more than 70 individual courses and enhance the college’s existing higher education provision which is directly linked to local employment needs. It would also support a wide range of qualifications, from further education, through to higher education and adult learning.

The campus building will include a high-glossed terracotta tiled facade, along with floor to ceiling glass, while the surrounding area will also be greened up through landscaping and planting to create a public square.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said:

The building itself is expected to be carbon neutral in operation, with solar panels on the roof of the building, and heated by sustainable air source heat pumps. A green roof terrace at the south of the building will also allow students to both study and relax in a landscaped environment.

The building will also include a small dedicated parking area for staff, as well as secure cycle storage.

Avison Young have led as the planning consultants for the Multiversity, along with architects Hawkins\Brown and advisers CBRE. Blackpool Council has also appointed Morgan Sindall Construction as the main contractors on a pre-contact services agreement.

Outline planning approval for up to 32,600sqm of education and commercial space was granted for the whole Multiversity site earlier this year. In addition to the first phase Multiversity campus, a second phase immediately south will allow expansion space for the college’s future plans, or office space for the Talbot Gateway. In the short term, the space would be used as a temporary car park until funding is secured for the second phase.

Land assembly for the site of the Multiversity is still under way, with over 60% of the properties purchased so far and negotiations with the remaining property owners continuing. While a Compulsory Purchase Order was served in April and will be heard at a public inquiry on 12 November, the council continues to negotiate with property owners, and is offering a range of support to residents who have to move because of the development.

Cllr Williams added:

The Multiversity makes up phase four of Blackpool Council’s £350m regeneration of the Talbot Gateway area around Blackpool North train station, which in total is bringing over 8,000 professional workers and students into the area.

A new 4 star 144-bedroom Holiday Inn hotel and Marco Pierre White New York Italian restaurant opened in May, while a tram-train interchange linking to Blackpool Promenade opened in June.

A civil service hub will bring over 3,000 government workers into a new 215,000 sqft office on King Street early next year, while full planning permission has been granted for a new million, 52,950 sq ft office off Talbot Road which would be home to over 1,000 employees. Plans for a new multi-storey car park off Church Street are expected to be submitted.

The land for the new Multiversity is currently being acquired by Blackpool Council, with the support of a £9m government grant while the construction was also awarded £40m from UK Government in 2023.

More details on regeneration plans in Blackpool

The Lightworks team, based near Blackpool Airport, produced eight spectacular neon pieces in collaboration with internationally-renowned artist, Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE to create an illuminated art trail in Leicester Square Gardens.

Chila, who has already designed a tableau for the Blackpool Illuminations display, invited the team to produce the neon works after she was commissioned by the Art Of London event to feature in the annual Art After Dark programme.

The three-day event used 16 national institutions and art galleries including the Royal Academy of Arts, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

On opening night, Chila unveiled 14 glowing artworks, including the eight new commissions produced by Lightworks. Entitled There Is No Darkness In The Garden Of Light, the installation towered nearly 10 feet high.

It was designed to reflect Chila’s Indian heritage and was inspired by London’s diverse communities. Her creations included representations of Indian deities, a whimsical underwater scene with fish and seashells, as well as icons of South Asian femininity and a magical Barbie-inspired figure.

Chila said:

Last year, in another collaboration with the Lightworks team, Chila unveiled a spectacular tableau entitled Lollies In Love With Light as part of a four-month Illuminations display. It remains on display in the tableaux section within the Blackpool Illuminations, which this year will shine until January 5, 2025.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said:

The London event took place just a few days ahead of Blackpool opening its own award-winning light festival, Lightpool.

The amazing free-to-see programme of light installations, 3D projection shows, art trails, and stunning live performances will run from October 18 to 26.

With the Illuminations season in full swing, the nine days will see the addition of light installations from the UK, France, Finland and Spain as part of the highly-acclaimed festival.

Supported by Arts Council England, it will include the premiere of at least 15 new artworks never seen before in the UK as well as spellbinding projection shows and live performance including the return of the hugely popular Carnival Magic in the iconic Tower Ballroom.

Other events coming up in Blackpool’s action-packed autumn and winter programme include:

Monster Hunt

Blackpool’s rooftops are coming alive! The Monster Hunt will be one of the big attractions in the resort’s extensive Halloween By The Sea celebrations. From Monday 28 October to Sunday 3 November, prepare for an epic invasion as 10 giant inflatable monsters take over buildings around the Golden Mile and nearby town centre. Your mission? Hunt them down during the day or when they illuminate at night. Keep your eyes peeled for these hilarious, larger-than-life creatures and enjoy this spectacular free trail for all ages.

Christmas By The Sea

The Tower Festival Headland will be turned into an outdoor winter wonderland with free skating rink, snowfalls, log cabins, festive projection shows and themed rides including the awesome Star Flyer. It opens on November 15 and runs through to January 5, 2025.

The Blackpool Illuminations

The world’s longest running light display is showing every night during our autumn and winter events season, ending on January 5, 2025. This year’s seafront display, stretching more than five miles, includes a series of new features:

A spectacular new installation by the Illuminations’ creative curator, Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen. Entitled Disco Donkey Cavalcade, it is a celebration of one of Blackpool’s iconic beach attractions, with 12 donkeys dressed in 70s-inspired swimwear parading on a 16ft high platform, beneath a giant ice cream topped with a disco ball!

A brand new tableau, created by Leigh Francis (aka TV star Keith Lemon) featuring a wildly imaginative and colourful design incorporating a 12ft tall dinosaur, space ship, astronaut, an airborne BMX bike, and Leigh himself flying through the skies towards The Blackpool Tower!

A new overhead roadway section that pays homage to the hugely popular Aliens feature that graced the Illuminations display several years ago. The new section has been designed by students at Blackpool Sixth Form and includes 10 individual illustrations of Alien life!

A larger-than-life Buzz Wire arcade game in which visitors will be able to test their skill and nerve on a specially designed installation reflecting Blackpool’s famous skyline. Created by the Illuminations’ Lightworks team, it is located on the Golden Mile.

The new Blackpool town centre office for Department of Work and Pensions will be home to over 3,000 civil servants when it opens early next year, but its construction is already having a positive impact on the local economy.

Blackpool Council, developer Muse and main contractor VINCI Building have worked together to ensure that local people and businesses benefit from the town’s biggest construction project since The Blackpool Tower.

A construction skills centre created on site has helped 16 young people from Blackpool who had left school without jobs to complete qualifications and find work experience learning skills such as bricklaying, plastering and fire protection.

By the end of the programme, 12 of the young people impressed so much on site that they found permanent work with sub-contractors, helping them to start their careers in the construction industry.

Penial Jonah, 16, who lives in the town centre, had no recognised qualifications when arriving on site. Through the construction skills centre programme, he has completed qualifications in English and Maths, as well as training with JCS Interiors and has now registered on a full time T Level studying Design, Planning and Management.

He said: