Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has pledged £40m to relocate Blackpool Magistrates’ and County Court building, paving the way for the resort’s £300m leisure development behind the Golden Mile.
Plans for the Blackpool Central scheme were approved in October 2021 and include family attractions, hotel, heritage quarter and a new public events space.
The first phase of work – to build a 1,300-space multi-storey to replace the existing surface car park – is already underway, but public sector investment and collaboration were required to relocate the courts from the 17-acre site so later phases could be completed.
Mr Gove visited Blackpool to announce that £40m will be transferred from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to the Home Office and will pay for the relocation of the facility to a new state-of-the-art complex in Blackpool.
Blackpool Central, on the site of what was once one of the world’s busiest railway stations, represents the largest single investment in Blackpool for over a century. It will see the area transformed into a year-round leisure destination, creating an estimated 1,000 jobs and attracting around 600,000 additional visitors to the resort every year.
Note: Bonny Street Market closed at the end of November to make way for the Blackpool Central development after occupying the site for more than 30 years. The market was originally set to close last year, but was given a one-year reprieve.
