Blackpool Central on the global market at MIPIM

The Blackpool Central leisure investment site and the resort’s Silicon Sands data centre campus have been pitched to investors at a global property conference.

The two major investment opportunities were highlighted by a delegation from the town at MIPIM, the world’s most influential property event, which takes place annually in Cannes on the French Riviera.

Blackpool Council Leader Lynn Williams led a small delegation to MIPIM – looking to sell the town’s investment story alongside other major town and cities from across the UK and rest of the world.

The carbon friendly data centre campus at Silicon Sands on Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone and Blackpool Central, a large-scale leisure investment opportunity at the foot of the Tower, were highlighted to global investors.

The Blackpool Central redevelopment site was placed on the market following the collapse of a £300m leisure project at the end of last year.

The move came after Nikal, the developer behind the plan - described as the largest single investment in the town for more than a century – appointed administrators.

Blackpool Central was to have been a year-round world-class leisure destination just off the resort’s famous Golden Mile. It was hailed as “one of the UK’s most important regeneration projects.”

The aim was to create up to 1,000 jobs, bring an estimated 600,000 additional visitors each year, and boost annual spend in the resort by £75m.

Silicon Sands aims to advantage of the Celtix-Connect2 internet cable that connects Blackpool with New York, Dublin and northern Europe as part of the North Atlantic Loop, which carries up to one-third of the world’s internet traffic.

Councillor Williams said: “Our £2bn growth and prosperity programme is already helping to make Blackpool better but we need more private investment to turbocharge that growth and create more jobs for people.

“I am determined that we attract more investment into Blackpool. That is the only way we will create more opportunities and jobs for local people, as well as improving where we live.

“We have a fantastic story to tell investors which is becoming increasingly recognised. Our visitor economy is worth around £2bn and supports over 20,000 jobs for local people, while our skilled people and leading skills institutions offer an attractive alternative for investors to expensive major cities like London.

“After a non-stop productive week of speaking opportunities, presentations and meetings, we will now continue to work hard to convert those conversations and contacts into local investment and jobs.”

More than 20,000 international investors and developers attend MIPIM annually, with Blackpool making its first major appearance this year.