Taxpayer-owned assets in Blackpool could be sold to balance council's books

Fears that the tower could be up for grabs appear over the top - but other assets could be on table

Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.

The leader of the opposition says Blackpool Council’s 26-27 budget is a “dystopian nightmare for the people of this town”.

Is that playing for the cameras or an accurate description of what’s happening at Blackpool Council?

That’s what we unpick in some depth in today’s edition.

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Blackpool briefing

☕ A couple who run a community café in Blackpool’s South Shore have been left devastated after the huge Waterloo Road blaze forced it to close for months ahead. But Sarah and Billy Hallett, of the South Shore Pitstop Community Café at 21 Waterloo Road, have vowed that it will reopen at some point in the future. The café was one of several businesses decimated by the fire which ripped through the Smart Mart building at around 11.30pm on February, Friday 6. The fire ravaged not only Smart Mart but neighbouring businesses on the block – the Pitstop café, the Omoto Caribbean Shop, the Premier shop and a new restaurant which was all set to open. Several families in the vicinity have also faced the desperation of having to leave their homes.

🏠 Proposals to turn a three-bedroom house in Blackpool’s South Shore into holiday accommodation have been lodged with planners. The application submitted to Blackpool Council seeks planning permission for a change of use of the existing residential property at 5 Hill Street, Blackpool, from Class C3 (residential dwelling) to self-contained serviced holiday accommodation. Holiday Accommodation planning guidelines establish a clear presumption against new holiday accommodation outside designated areas, unless exceptional circumstances justify such a departure. This is particularly the case given Blackpool’s current housing shortage. However, the applicants argue that a number of such exceptional circumstances support these proposals.

🥟 The owners of Blackpool’s iconic Central Pier say ongoing repairs are under control after a visitor raised concerns over a snapped rusty crossbeam. Darren Noakes said he was passing underneath the pier when he spotted that one of the beams was broken and he decided to raise the issue and the general appearance of the structure. He contacted Blackpool Council, which works closely with the current owners of all three piers, Blackpool Pier Company and told them he was worried about what he’d seen. In August 2024 years a woman in her 50s was taken to hospital after she fell through a section of Central Pier. She suffered serious injuries – including a smashed elbow – and was lucky to survive. An investigation followed and the council made a number of recommendations to owners, with the pier company putting new measures in place after the incident, but no legal action was taken. This week Blackpool Pier Company said repairs were always ongoing, including the damage identified by Mr Noakes, and said the pier was designed to absorb certain amount loss and damage.

Taxpayer-owned assets in Blackpool could be sold to balance council’s books

Town Hall in Blackpool.

By Michael Holmes

Taxpayer-owned “assets” in Blackpool will be sold off to balance the council’s books and address a £5m budget shortfall - and even more could be flogged if the local authority’s arm’s-length tourism company fails to make enough money, it has been suggested.

While town hall bosses have moved to allay fears the Tower could be up for grabs, local authority leader Lynn Williams confessed that other parts of the council estate - believed to be land - may be on the table.

She said: “We have an asset register, an asset disposal strategy, and those assets that will be sold are those that do not generate income, they do not benefit residents.

“There will be a regular group meeting which will work through to ensure there is absolutely no impact on residents.

“I’m not going to talk about which the particular assets are because that would obviously be commercially sensitive and if I mention the assets, you can rest assured they do not generate income, nor do they benefit residents.”

Williams was asked by opposition leader Paul Galley what would happen if Blackpool Tourism Limited - which now runs the Tower, Sandcastle Waterpark, Showtown Museum and Madame Tussauds waxwork museum - does not hit its revenue target of £1.5m over the next 12 months.

Speaking at a budget meeting that proved to be at times combative and fiery, Williams said she is “entirely confident” the sum will be generated, given the council is no longer “having to pay” entertainment giant Merlin to run the likes of the Tower.

But she added: “We will continue, obviously, to monitor that. If there is - which, as I say, I very much doubt - we will take the appropriate steps.”

“If there was any concerns, we would take the appropriate stage to look at what other assets, how we could generate that (money) and support.”

Galley said: “The fact that we now have to sell our assets shout how bad things have become.

“I have been a councillor for 15 years. This is the first time in this chamber we have now literally confirmed we are going to sell our assets.

“It is a step over the Rubicon. It’s a time of great concern.”

Deputy leader Neal Brookes hit back at Galley, saying: “Frankly, part of our main budget and our strategy … is… selling assets to get capital to cover anything.