Job cuts and rides shelved as Pleasure Beach cites cost-of-living crisis in announcing further losses
PLUS: An inquest opens into the death of a woman believed to have been murdered - and Blackpool and The Fylde College under the microscope
Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
In today’s edition, we look at the accounts of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which were made public over the weekend.
It’s a key employer for Blackpool - and obviously iconic besides - and this is underlined by them taking on more members of staff in the last financial year despite losses.
It is two consecutive set of accounts for Blackpool Pleasure Beach announcing losses - but the plans to tackle these issues with reduced opening hours and mothballing of rides have long been in the public domain.
We’ve seen this story doing the rewritten-by-AI rounds at the big publishers but we’ve taken the opportunity to take a more considered and balanced look at what’s going on at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
Losses build, rides scrapped and jobs on the line - but Pleasure Beach confident about the future
By Jamie Lopez
Staff cuts and reduced operating hours at Blackpool Pleasure Beach have been discussed after the theme park recorded a seven-figure loss last year.
The latest accounts for Blackpool Pleasure Beach Limited were published this week and showed a pre-tax loss of £2.7m in the 2023-24 financial year.
Among the measures being implemented to improve efficiency at the hugely popular attraction are reduced operating hours for individual rides. Visitors to the attraction this weekend, for example, will have seen the much-loved Valhalla ride was only open for three hours.
Bigger measures are also being taken though, with a strategic report included within the accounts pointing towards staff cuts, full ride closures and changes to operating hours.
It states: “The company has instigated a head count review and a review of the assets on park, as a result a number of rides will be closed for the forthcoming season, we are also looking at how we profile the opening and closing times of both individual rides and the park itself with a view to maximising efficiency (and therefore cost) whilst balancing it with achieving great customer satisfaction.”
Amid the growing losses, which compared to £789,000 in the previous 12 months and £6.4m profit before that, the company’s directors conceded that “trading in the current year has been extremely difficult due to many external factors beyond our control” and that no short-term change is expected in this regard.
However, they say they remain optimistic for the future and state the company “seeks to improve its visitors experience by investing in new attractions and other customer focused improvements.”
While Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce are closed this year due to low usage and the Grand National is undergoing maintenance, the park is in the process of refurbishing Ice Blast which will be reborn as Launch Pad later this year. And last week it announced the opening of an £8m Gyro Swing which will be the biggest of its kind in the country when it opens.
Commenting on the circumstances affecting the overall performance, the directors’ report states: “The hospitality and leisure market remains highly competitive and is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Post pandemic attendance levels have not recovered to those seen pre pandemic.
“The continuing cost of living crisis is depressing non-essential spend for a significant proportion of our core customer base and adds an additional layer of uncertainty regarding spending habits and patterns.
“The country has recently seen a national election bring in a new government. Inflation is being brought under control and interest rates have started to fall. We have also seen a calming of utility prices.”
It adds: “The company's long term success has been built on delivering an exceptional customer experience, whilst maintaining the highest standards of health and safety, to provide them with memories to last a lifetime. We pride ourselves on making the customers experience different each time they visit by reinventing the park with new rides and different experiences.”
Any potential job cuts would be felt harshly given the park’s role as a key employer in the town. Despite the losses seen throughout 2024, the park employed around 10% more employees than in 2023.
Throughout 2024, it employed 204 permanent staff and 462 seasonal workers compared with 195 and 395 in the previous year. That added to a £12.8m spend on wages and salaries, or almost £14.5m factoring in social security costs and pensions.
A spokesperson from Pleasure Beach Resort did not respond directly to The Blackpool Lead’s question about potential job losses but said that changes referenced in the report have already been implemented.
They said: “It has been a challenging few years of trading across the entire industry, and we have undertaken the necessary actions to continue to offer the same amazing experiences to our guests.
“We have already undertaken a strategic review and implemented changes; this has now concluded. The changes referenced in the accounts have all been actioned and completed, furthermore there are currently no plans to close any further rides.
“We are confident there is lots to look forward to at Pleasure Beach Resort for the immediate and long-term future, beginning with the opening of Launch Pad this spring, and our announcement of an £8.72M Gyro Swing, opening in 2026.”
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Inquest into death of woman believed to have been murdered at Blackpool Victoria to go ahead as killer never identified
By Jamie Lopez
An inquest into the death of a woman believed to have been murdered at Blackpool Victoria Hospital will go ahead despite the killer never being identified.
Valerie Mabel Kneale died in the hospital’s stroke unit in November 2018 and a post-mortem identified that the cause of death was a non-medical related internal injury.
A police investigation included the case being shown on BBC’s Crimewatch and an offer of a £20,000 CrimeStoppers reward for information leading to the killer’s conviction.
Normally, coroners’ investigations are adjourned pending criminal investigations but seven years on, nobody has been held to account for Mrs Kneale’s death.
A pre-inquest review at Blackpool Town Hall yesterday (25 March) heard that, while the Operation Bermuda investigation into the hospital is ongoing, Lancashire Constabulary’s investigation into Mrs Kneale’s murder has now ended. As such, coroner Alan Wilson said the family’s wish was for an inquest to go ahead.
Mr Wilson said a week will be needed for the hearing and said witnesses will include hospital staff, Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, and family members.
A provisional date was set for September 1-5.
Blackpool and The Fylde College pleased with ‘tremendous recognition’ in latest Ofsted inspection
By Shelagh Parkinson
Blackpool and The Fylde College is celebrating after being rated ‘Good’ following its latest Ofsted inspection with four areas of work highlighted as ‘Outstanding’.
Inspectors gave the college a glowing report with the behaviour of students and apprentices described as “exemplary”.
The report, published on March 18, adds: “Tutors encourage them to
emulate high, professional standards. Students in hospitality, uniformed public
services and maritime wear their uniforms with dignity and pride.”
An inspection team visited all areas of the college, whose main campus is on Ashfield Road in Bispham, to examine teaching, learning and the student experience over four days in February.
Ofsted’s overall ‘Good’ rating includes four ‘Outstanding’ sub-judgements for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and adult learning programmes.
It comes as work is due to begin this year to build the £65m Multiversity campus in the town centre, a council-led development set to open in 2027 and which will be run by Blackpool and The Fylde College.
Alun Francis, chief Executive officer at the college said: “This report is a tremendous recognition of the hard work and commitment by our staff, governors, students and their parents – and they should all feel very proud.
“Ofsted confirms that significant progress is being made across all aspects of our provision and we’re delighted to have upgraded our ratings in five of the eight areas assessed.
“This is an important milestone in our continuous improvement, but we are already well advanced with ambitious plans for our next steps.
“It is particularly pleasing that our adult learning programmes are rated outstanding because it confirms the strong foundation for future success with our landmark Multiversity project, which will offer exciting new and flexible pathways to higher education and employment when it opens in 2027.”
The report highlights the dedication of staff in supporting students and apprentices who “thoroughly enjoy their education and training” with high-quality teaching that equips them with valuable skills for their futures.
This inspection included a first-ever assessment of the college’s contribution to meeting skills needs. Through close partnerships with employers like the NHS and BAE Systems, it has designed a curriculum that directly responds to workforce demands and achieves the highest-possible rating of ‘Strong’.
Also recognised is work to ensure good attendance, gain workplace skills and develop skills for active participation in public life.
Simon Hughes, B&FC principal, said: “We set very ambitious standards on the quality that learners, apprentices and employers should expect of us and this shows we are delivering them through a supportive and empowering culture for everyone.
“It was inspiring to see the inspectors’ comments about our personal development, leadership and management. To have independent confirmation that we are developing learners and equipping them to be adaptable and well-rounded citizens is a tremendous endorsement of what we see happening every day across our sites.”
Thank you for reading The Blackpool Lead this week.
We will be back with you on Sunday with more exclusive reporting. Enjoy the rest of your week.