Pride of Place partnership to add £1bn to Blackpool economy

A new plan to create 10,000 jobs and add £1bn to the Blackpool economy is calling for government support.

The Pride of Place Partnership has published the Blackpool 2030 town prospectus, which outlines plans to create 3,000 new homes, improve employment rates of 16 to 25 year olds through a focus on health and wellbeing, and boost national perceptions of the resort as a location to invest and build businesses.

The Blackpool Pride of Place Partnership was by Business in the Community last year and is a partnership of the private, public and voluntary sector including Merlin Entertainments, Beaverbrooks, Danbro, Big Lottery, Blackpool Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

It promotes the area's economic development and tackles its social challenges through involving people with influence, passion and a common aim.

The Blackpool town prospectus is an invitation to national government to work together with the partnership to address long-term embedded challenges and take advantage of opportunities.

The partnership’s primary ask is a long-term partnership to support the ambition to develop Blackpool’s economy and tackle deprivation.

The plans in the prospectus require a sustained, shared and strategic approach and will ultimately create a stronger community and reduce pressure on the public purse. These plans are compatible with the civil society strategy and the industrial strategy, making Blackpool a strong contender to be the second Town Deal. The government announced the first Town Deal for Greater Grimsby this summer.

The partnership also asks for the government to establish a housing action zone in inner Blackpool, safeguard civil service jobs,  and make the Fylde Coast a designated tourism zone as part of the its industrial strategy.

The partnership is also calling for extending business rate relief for the enterprise zone, investing in rail links, establishing a mental health task force and ensuring that the government Shared Prosperity Fund is flexible enough to support these ambitions.

Christine Hodgson, chair of the Blackpool Pride of Place partnership, Business in the Community board member and chairman of Capgemini UK plc, said: “We want people in and outside Blackpool to be proud of this special town.

"We have developed integrated solutions to tackling Blackpool's social and physical problems which can only be delivered by a local partnership using the skills and resources of all sectors together with support from central government.”

Edwin Booth, chair of Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, added: “We want Blackpool to be a town where people of all ages choose to live, work, thrive and build their futures.

"While this prospectus focuses on Blackpool, it acknowledges the town’s geographical position at the centre of the Fylde Coast and shared social challenges with Fleetwood. The opportunities we have highlighted paint a picture of a different town, building upon its best and with support and commitment from others to turn the tables in Blackpool’s favour.” Blackpool Pride of Place is informing the development of Business in the Community’s Place strategy, encouraging and challenging its network of member companies to take a long-term, collaborative approach to transform their communities and deliver real impact where it is needed.