Museum plan gets £8m boost

By Ged Henderson

23 Mar 2018

Plans to create a new museum celebrating Blackpool’s unique place in entertainment have received a multi-million pound funding boost.

The Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund has allocated £4m towards the ambitious project which aims to bring £12.5m of additional spending into the resort.

And a Heritage Lottery Fund award will deliver £400,000 up front to support the development of the museum - with the prospect of a further £4m to make the attraction a reality.

The new museum will celebrate the town’s history as the UK’s first mass seaside holiday resort and the aim is to open its doors to visitors in 2020.

The biggest new museum development in the North West, it is expected to attract almost 300,000 visitors a year and will be developed on the world-famous Golden Mile.

The aim is to “engage younger audiences” in the history of Blackpool and further strengthen the town’s growing tourism offer.

Councillor Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This is great news and we are delighted to have secured such significant funding. This is a major step forward to help deliver this exciting project.

“These announcements are extremely welcome and are critical pieces in a £13m funding jigsaw.

“We are now seeking additional funding from the Growth Deal and Coastal Communities Fund to help complete the funding that needs to be achieved. We will continue to work hard to complete this complex funding jigsaw.”

The planned museum will explore the extraordinary and rarely told stories of Britain’s largest seaside resort.

Blackpool has played an unrivalled role in the development of British popular entertainment over the past 150 years and the museum is described as a “dynamic and celebratory space” - a blend of museum and visitor attraction, filled with artefacts, film, music and performance.

The plan is to locate it in the historic Palatine Building on the Golden Mile, next door but one to Blackpool Tower.

Blackpool museum boost

The building, known until recently as the Sands Venue, is being transformed into Blackpool’s first five star hotel and leisure complex and the museum will be part of the redevelopment.

The museum was selected by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) last year as the county’s preferred project to be put forward for NCRF funding.

It will showcase over 800 objects, including many iconic objects from national and local collections including entertainment collections from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Music Hall society and the EMI Archive Trust.

The council says it will attract 218,000 paying visitors and will be free to local residents of Blackpool. It will create 40 full-time equivalent jobs.

It will also boost the economy attracting an additional 24,000 staying visitors to the resort and bring £12.5m of additional expenditure in the town.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry said the investment, part of a wider package in the region, represents “a major economic and cultural boost for the Northern Powerhouse”.

He added: “These investments will have a transformative effect, benefitting local communities by creating new jobs while increasing tourism from across the UK and further afield.”

   

Enjoyed this? Read more from Ged Henderson

Latest news

1

Roundhouse secures approval for new £15m office and industrial scheme in Preston Momentum

Roundhouse secures approval for new £15m office and industrial scheme in Preston

25 Jul 2025

2

Homebuilder's high-performing sales advisers clinch awards Ben Garland and Julia Lorente

Homebuilder's high-performing sales advisers clinch awards

24 Jul 2025

3

Work is set to start on Multiversity project Multiversity Blackpool

Work is set to start on Multiversity project

24 Jul 2025

4

BAE Systems welcomes MOU between Republic of Turkiye and UK for purchase of Typhoon aircraft Typhoon production Warton

BAE Systems welcomes MOU between Republic of Turkiye and UK for purchase of Typhoon aircraft

23 Jul 2025

5

Assystem to double UK jobs to deliver Sizewell C EDF Assystem

Assystem to double UK jobs to deliver Sizewell C

22 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Preston Tech Connection: Buzz Word Bingo. Challenging Todays's Buzzwords In Tech
July PTC banner long updated.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Buzz Word Bingo. Challenging Todays's Buzzwords In Tech

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July
Longer July Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – August 14th
Navy--Event Tile.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
14 Aug 2025 - 14 Aug 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – August 14th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (24).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
21 Aug 2025 - 21 Aug 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Mytton Fold, Langho, BB6 8AB

11:30 - 14:15

Morecambe Bay Walk
Walk.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
30 Aug 2025 - 30 Aug 2025

Morecambe Bay Walk

Arnside, CARNFORTH, LA5

09:30 - 14:00

Longridge Soap Box Derby
Screenshot 2025-06-10 090035.png.png
LBV Hub Fundraisers
14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2025

Longridge Soap Box Derby

Berry Lane, Longridge, PR3 3WH

10:00 - 16:30

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV 123 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin