#Mytown-Blackpool (94 comments) • Resident needs over tourists • Reconfigure housing market • Modernise tourism offer • Improve the street scene • Improve transport • Youth, mental health and most vulnerable • Reinvigorate the town centre 2
Between 9 th and 29 th June 2020: • 5409 visitors to Blackpool Commonplace and 973 individuals responding* • 23 Resident Interviews • 26 Stakeholder Interviews • 26 young people (13-24) interviewed, 10 participating in a facilitated focus group, and submissions received from 3 organisations, which had undertaken engagement with young people • 15 older people (65-95) interviewed • 11 residents interviewed who were, or had recently, experienced significant disadvantage (including addiction, homelessness, offending, severe economic disadvantage) • 447 identifying an interest in participating in future engagement *Latest is 6603 visitors and 1119 individual responses 3
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Positivity 5
Top 10 ideas and proposals 6
Strengths Strengths Weaknesses Weaknesses Priorities for Investment Priorities for Investment Housing and the transitional Housing and the transitional Coastal location and Coastal location and engagement methods Key findings from all population – high proportion of population – high proportion of Housing Market – addressing proliferation of HMOs, Housing Market – addressing proliferation of HMOs, coastal plain – attractive to coastal plain – attractive to dilapidated HMO’s, a draw for vulnerable dilapidated HMO’s, a draw for vulnerable potential for clearance and development of quality potential for clearance and development of quality live and work, supporting live and work, supporting people from other areas, housing benefit people from other areas, housing benefit housing , question of whether the Towns Fund is the right housing , question of whether the Towns Fund is the right travel connectivity, travel connectivity, system perpetuating the problem system perpetuating the problem money for this money for this development opportunities development opportunities Property dilapidation – need for Property dilapidation – need for Strengthen and broaden the tourist offer - annual Strengthen and broaden the tourist offer - annual Tourism – strong reputation Tourism – strong reputation investment in piers, Illuminations, investment in piers, Illuminations, offer of events and attractions, which lend themselves to offer of events and attractions, which lend themselves to and iconic attractions and iconic attractions hospitality industry and empty and hospitality industry and empty and off-peak season tourism and investment in piers and off-peak season tourism and investment in piers and dilapidated property on arterial routes dilapidated property on arterial routes Illuminations Illuminations into town centre into town centre The Council – willing to take The Council – willing to take Town centre – decline in physical Town centre – decline in physical Town centre regeneration – European style café and Town centre regeneration – European style café and risks, undertaking risks, undertaking condition and vibrancy, discount shops, condition and vibrancy, discount shops, bar culture, quality town centre living, creating green bar culture, quality town centre living, creating green acquisitions and investing, acquisitions and investing, empty units, poor quality appearance empty units, poor quality appearance public realm, independent stores, markets, emphasis on public realm, independent stores, markets, emphasis on action on the housing action on the housing and public realm and public realm 52 week per year economy, regular deep cleaning 52 week per year economy, regular deep cleaning problems problems including surrounding areas including surrounding areas Communications Communications Lack of economic diversity – Lack of economic diversity – Attract new businesses, including technology Attract new businesses, including technology infrastructure – a potential infrastructure – a potential perception as only a seasonal tourist perception as only a seasonal tourist business – to realise the Silicon Sands concept, and to business – to realise the Silicon Sands concept, and to attraction for tech and green attraction for tech and green town, limited choice of career town, limited choice of career retain and attract talent retain and attract talent businesses businesses opportunities opportunities Further education – Further education – The brain-drain – high proportion going The brain-drain – high proportion going strengths of institutions and strengths of institutions and onto higher education do not return, onto higher education do not return, Youth services – investment in youth facilities and Youth services – investment in youth facilities and the opportunity to connect to the opportunity to connect to perception that career opportunities are perception that career opportunities are services services businesses businesses limited limited Transport – arterial road congestion, Transport – arterial road congestion, Transport – investing in rail and road infrastructure, Transport – investing in rail and road infrastructure, Transport – pedestrianised Transport – pedestrianised lack of connectivity across Fylde Coast, lack of connectivity across Fylde Coast, transport gateways, improving connectivity across Fylde transport gateways, improving connectivity across Fylde walkways, the tram, direct walkways, the tram, direct infrequency and quality of trains from infrequency and quality of trains from Coast, improving Blackpool North passenger Coast, improving Blackpool North passenger London train London train Blackpool North Blackpool North experience, Promenade Cycle Lanes experience, Promenade Cycle Lanes Blackpool’s Community – Blackpool’s Community – Reputation for disadvantage – the top Reputation for disadvantage – the top pride & passion, mutual pride & passion, mutual of the wrong league tables, undermining of the wrong league tables, undermining Mental health – high demand pressure on services Mental health – high demand pressure on services support networks, the support networks, the Blackpool’s attractiveness as a place to Blackpool’s attractiveness as a place to exacerbated by Covid and high numbers of vulnerable exacerbated by Covid and high numbers of vulnerable strength of local strength of local live a build a business, “tacky party live a build a business, “tacky party people living in Blackpool people living in Blackpool partnerships, VCFSE Sector, partnerships, VCFSE Sector, town” perception, concerns about safety town” perception, concerns about safety business community business community Isolated location – in comparison to Isolated location – in comparison to Addressing homelessness – rehousing and providing Addressing homelessness – rehousing and providing locations around and connected to larger locations around and connected to larger support for complex needs support for complex needs cities cities Underpinning principles to guide decisions: Underpinning principles to guide decisions: Blackpool’s assets – Blackpool’s assets – - Streamlining investment priorities and avoid - Streamlining investment priorities and avoid Stanley Park, football club, Stanley Park, football club, diluting the investment across too many projects diluting the investment across too many projects beach, wide range of VCFSE beach, wide range of VCFSE community buildings assets community buildings assets - Joining up the themes (e.g. directly connecting the - Joining up the themes (e.g. directly connecting the Environmental problems – town Environmental problems – town education & skills offer to quality job opportunities) education & skills offer to quality job opportunities) centre, beach and promenade, litter centre, beach and promenade, litter - Sustainability testing (investing for substantial long- - Sustainability testing (investing for substantial long- term impact) term impact) 7 - Lever further investment (turning the £25m into - Lever further investment (turning the £25m into £100m) £100m)
Cross cutting themes • Connecting the themes • Avoiding dilution • Sustainability • Leverage 8
Potential gaps (Town’s Fund Prospectus against engagement response) • Addressing non-housing and non-town centre area based dilapidation • Litter • Youth services • Mental health • Homelessness 9
Next steps • Blackpool Commonplace site to close mid-July • Further analysis by Council Strategy Delivery Team • Draft Engagement Plan for next stage to be produced • Commonplace to re-open for further engagement on the detail of the Town Plan bid when required 10
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Questions ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 12
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