Blackpool Council was accused of 'insidious' tactics to force sale of home before young dad's death
PLUS: The latest on the Metropole Hotel controversy
Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
When Alistair Taylor was found dead in October, it was a tragedy. A part of Blackpool felt united in grief at the loss of someone who had worked so hard to carve out a life here.
At the time Alistair’s family, quite understandably, did not want to speak to journalists and that’s something that I respected. We elected not to publish tributes posted by his family on social media.
But an investigation by The Blackpool Lead over the last few weeks saw Alistair’s name appear as part of the conversation regarding the Multiversity project.
Alistair, a father-of-four, had been tied in a long dispute with Blackpool Council about plans to acquire his home - which friends say he was incredibly proud of - and a sale was agreed days before he was found dead.
A pre-inquest review into his death tomorrow will likely not provide the answers or - in their words - the justice that his family are searching for. That will need to come later. And the inquest will look at aspects other than the stress caused by the forced upheaval of the Multiversity project.
Blackpool Council continues to assert that they have behaved properly - but The Blackpool Lead understands their role - if it played any - will be examined during the inquest.
Their statement provided for this article uses the word speculation - but what’s presented in our reporting is factual. No decision has yet been reached over whether Blackpool Council played a role in Alistair’s death.
Most importantly, Alistair’s family are aware of our reporting today.
Approach to Multiversity purchases became ‘insidious’
By Luke Beardsworth
An inquest will open this week into the death of Blackpool dad-of-four Alistair Taylor.
Alistair, a barber with his own shop on Topping Street, was well-known and liked in the community but he was found dead at his Milbourne Street home at the age of 32 on 4 October, 2024.
Tributes poured in following the news of the death of a young man who was seen as a star of Blackpool Council’s Get Started Programme which helped him establish his business as far back as 2013.
Lancashire Constabulary confirmed at the time that his death was not being treated as suspicious and the inquest will look at many different factors which may have contributed to his death.
Alistair’s home was one of many Blackpool Council was, as far back as 2022, seeking to acquire to enable the construction and development of the Multiversity project.
When The Blackpool Lead covered the public inquiry into potential Compulsory Purchase Orders to force the sale of the remaining properties in October, only six objections remained.
That hearing heard from at least one objector who said the council failed to undertake realistic valuations of properties and made an offer which was not “the starting point for any meaningful negotiation”.
The council was bullish throughout, stating that ‘people have the right to believe that’ but support has been ‘available, offered and tailored’, while acknowledging people were unfortunate to be impacted.
Any remaining objections have been swept aside after the inquiry gave Blackpool Council the powers to acquire the remaining homes. Work is now expected to start later this year.
But Alistair Taylor’s months-long dispute with Blackpool Council over his home was not discussed, with the acquisition of his home for the Multiversity Project being approved and confirmed either side of his death.
Property consultancy Gateley Hamer wrote to Blackpool Council, in a letter seen by The Blackpool Lead, in May 2024 objecting to the plans to acquire Alistair Taylor’s home at Milbourne Street.
Those objections included the disability challenges faced by Alistair’s three youngest children that resulted in a number of alterations to the home which would be difficult and costly to replace or replicate in any new home.
They said the council’s approach to acquiring properties had become ‘insidious’ and risked infringing on the family’s human rights.
The letter said: “The three youngest children have neurological and sensory disabilities. It is inappropriate to detail here the family's circumstances, suffice it to say that the family home is adapted to meet the family's needs.
“Further adaptations are required and would be delivered but for the family being unable to satisfy the occupancy conditions required by the granting authority. The continued delays and prevarication by Blackpool…Council failing to engage and deal constructively is having a significant impact on the family causing severe stress and anxiety.
It added: “A typical residential property on the market is unlikely to have the features/adaptations required by Mr Taylor’s family and as such those adaptations represent a cost over and above market value that the Council have thus far failed to recognise and accept.”
They believed that the three youngest members of Alistair’s family had protected characteristics and that Blackpool Council had failed to acknowledge that in their approach to acquiring the home.
The letter also said: “The council have made a number of hand delivered generic maildrops around the neighbourhood with assurances and promises seeking to acquire by agreement.
“Our experience of dealing with the council in the case of Mr Taylor is that the statements and promises are fatuous and baseless.
“In more recent months, the maildrops have become more insidious with statements regarding the council’s intention to take homes compulsorily. These mailshots have caused significant anxiety for my clients in what is already a very stressful situation, made all the worse by the fact the Council are not engaging with us.”
The letter added three properties that would have been suitable homes for Alistair Taylor and his family were identified but the council ‘failed to engage either at all or in any meaningful way that would enable a property to be secured’.
It concludes that unless a suitable replacement home can be found, the family’s human rights, in particular their rights to a family life, will be infringed.
Other objections cited included Alistair’s social and support network living locally, his Topping Street business being within walking distance and thus allowing him to be home at short notice to help with childcare, school transport, issues dealing with multiple Blackpool Council agencies, and comfort levels regarding the logistics and timing of being forced to move home.
Negotiations between Blackpool Council and Alistair Taylor took place between August 2022 and September 2024 in their totality during which time offers for the home were rejected and it is during that period - in May 2024 - that the letter of objection cited above was submitted to Blackpool Council.
Throughout June, a number of conversations took place, with David Strafford of Gateley Hamer and Alistair Taylor attending a meeting with Blackpool Council’s head of investment Talia Yakub.
Evidence submitted as part of the Multiversity public inquiry showed that conversations had taken place between the council and Alistair Taylor discussing what adaptations might be considered for any new home.
On September 18, 2024 a provisional agreement had been reached and by 26 September, Talia Yakub was writing to recommend the purchase of Alistair’s home for the Multiversity project.
The report recommending that the sale be allowed, seen by The Blackpool Lead, said: “The acquisition of the property will be for the benefit of the area in that it will improve and develop economic and social wellbeing of the area by providing the Council with assets which will enable future regeneration projects.”
The recommendation made no reference to the previous concerns expressed by Alistair Taylor but cited there were no equality, risk or ethical considerations with the potential purchase.
Eight days after that report was written Alistair Taylor was found dead at his Milbourne Street home.
The Blackpool Lead asked Blackpool Council a number of questions regarding the purchase of the property, which was ultimately confirmed in November 2024.
These included:
Whether Blackpool Council had made extra funds available to account for adaptations required for any future home for Alistair and his family
Why the report written in September cited no ethical, equality or risk considerations in the purchase of the home
Blackpool Council declined to comment on whether their deal was one that Alistair was comfortable with - though pointed to the fact that he had ultimately agreed to sell his home.
They said they believed they had assessed all ethical, equality and risk considerations when they purchased the home.
A spokesperson for Blackpool Council told The Blackpool Lead: “This is a desperately sad situation and the family have our deepest sympathies. However, it would be wrong to speculate on the matter until the inquest is concluded.”
Update on use of unsuitable Metropole Hotel for asylum seekers
By Shelagh Parkinson
Blackpool Council is hoping to work with the Home Office to resolve concerns around the use of the Metropole Hotel on the Promenade to house asylum seekers.
The property, which is owned by Britannia Hotels, has been used to provide accommodation for people fleeing persecution since September 2021.
Blackpool South MP Chris Webb is among those calling for the Metropole to be returned to its former use as holiday accommodation, saying the building is unsuitable to house asylum seekers.
Blackpool Council leader Coun Lynn Williams said: “Since the start of the use of the hotel for this purpose, we have been clear about our view that this is not a suitable location for the much needed support of vulnerable people fleeing abuse and persecution. We look forward to working with the Home Office to bring this use to an end.”
The council has been opposed to the use since the first asylum seekers moved into the building which is operated on behalf of the Home Office by private public services firm Serco.
It does provide support services for residents including in relation to public health and education for children.
In October 2023 the Conservative government announced it would be moving asylum seekers from 50 hotels around the country where they were being housed, but the Metropole was not among them.
Mr Webb first raised his concerns about the suitability of the Metropole to house asylum seekers last September, and has recently stepped up his calls for it to be restored to the tourism industry.
Speaking last week (January 31), he said he had heard “directly from asylum seekers in the hotel about the alleged mistreatment they are suffering including a lack of access to food”.
But Serco refuted the claims and said the safety and wellbeing of the Metropole’s residents “is our top priority”.
A Serco spokesperson said: “Our staff treat all the people in our accommodation with respect and dignity and their safety and wellbeing is our top priority, including providing regular balanced meals.”
Council chiefs and Serco have also recently dismissed social media speculation that the Norbreck Castle Hotel in North Shore, or the former civil service offices at Norbreck House could be used to house asylum seekers.
Thank you for reading this week. Our recommendations for things to do will now follow but we hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a bright start to the week.
Luke, Ed, Jamie, Mike, Sophie and all the team.
The best things to do in Blackpool from 10 February...
We begin as we so often do at Bootleg Social where Manchester punk band Loose Articles rock up for what we view as the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day.
Loose Articles wrote a song called Buses having a very northern shout about the cost of public transport in their city - and as a result Dave Grohl chose them to support the Foo Fighters when they last played Old Trafford cricket ground.
Thye’ve been knocking about since 2019 but released their debut album in 2024. Despite this early level of success, they all still work full time doing other things.
The visit to Bootleg Social is part of their Kick Like a Girl: Extra Time tour, which is aimed at supporting young female/non-binary people with areas of live music. Along with the show, they’ll be doing a Q&sA session.
Tickets are just £5.50 if you buy through Skiddle and you can do that right now.
Next Saturday will see a ‘machine sewing for beginners’ class at Aunty Social. It’s a free workshop and a chance to build confidence on a sewing machine.
You can take your own machine if you want. The session is supported by Blackpool Council and designed as something that could potentially help with the cost of living crisis.
You will learn what the sewing machine actually does, winding a bobbin and how to thread up the machine, amended stitches, adjusting tension and how to sew a straight line and turn corners.
Read a bit more about that here.
Running at the same time over at Abingdon Street Market is Bradford photographer John Bolloten discussing his series Blood Brothers.
In this powerful artist talk, Bolloten takes us behind the lens of his extraordinary work documenting the Spartan Bare Knuckle Fight Club—the only licensed hay bale fight club in the UK.
Starting in February 2020, just before the pandemic lockdowns began, Bolloten attended his first event in a Bradford hotel, capturing the visceral energy of one of the most dangerous combat sports in the world.
Have a look what that’s all about here.
A food focus now in the same venue. Abingdon Street Market is hosting a Valentine’s Supper Club with a three-course set menu from Chamo.
Chamo started their life over in Preston and do Latin American flavours very well. Whether with your partner or just loads of pals, it’s a unique way to celebrate but we can promise strong food on this one.