After the revelations that Blackpool might officially become a Mickey Mouse town, we are now being enlightened to the thought that by 2015 we may be getting a snow dome on the scale of Ski Dubai. I like ski-ing so this could be a nice addition for me.
As ever, though, the Council – in conjunction with it’s mouthpiece the Geazett – shoots itself in the foot over and over again.
This project was announced as if it were signed and sealed, yet the only thing that has been signed is an exclusivity agreement between the Council and a developer. This means that if other developers were to turn up with better ideas, they wouldn’t be able to build anything on the proposed location. Clearly, we’re in a position where we take whatever we can get but I think signing away 20 acres of central Blackpool to a developer who might not even build anything is a bit of an own goal.
The proposed location is Central Car Park (the former Central Station), so that means all tourist car parking will be obliterated. Heaven help us if we have an air show again. Of course, a private company is demolishing most of Leopold Grove and the surrounding area to construct a temporary car park for the next 3 or 4 years (we’ll see how temporary it ends up) so perhaps that’s the new “central” car park – although the Council don’t seem to like private car parks. Or, maybe it’ll be the old Mecca land surrounded by ReBlackpool hoardings. Or even the old bowling club!
On the face of it the snow dome is a good idea and anything new is obviously going to be a benefit to the town itself; particularly as it is an all year round attraction and if the ideas discussed by the development team are anything to go by should be world class by any standards. It might bring in quality eateries too – something the town seriously lacks. And maybe – just maybe – they’ll extend the railway back into the centre and create a new station. We can dream, can’t we?
But have we not seen all this before?
Labour put the kybosh on a similar project a few years back, following which the Chill Factor-E opened in Manchester. Some say that was due to a love-in between the Labour Council and Pleasure Beach bosses who were seen shouting from the rooftops “NOT IN MY BACK YARD”, but I couldn’t possibly comment.
Who’s to say the same will not happen here? We already know the Tories love to hobnob with local businessmen such as Denley Barrow and Owen Oyston. Who’s to say they’re not in bed with Amanda Thompson as well?
In some cases it can be shown that they are. When discussing the South station relocation to the Pleasure Beach, Maxine Callow was quoted as saying, “The idea to move it to the Pleasure Beach is to help them with their business.”
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I think it sounds excellent, I have never actually done skiing or snowboarding but as a self-confessed adrenaline junkie I would love to have a go and it will be fantastic to have such a facility right on my doorstep. Plus it will give me something nice to look at walking down Spine Road into Central Car Park with the outdated concrete block the police station/courts and awful surface car park gone. They could easily incorporate parking into the project.
It is also nice to see something which actually benefits the locals as well as visitors unlike a conference centre which benefits not really tourists or locals just delegates from political parties who think they are ‘too posh’ for Blackpool, like the snobs they are. Especially as a younger resident I would love to see something like this, a food court and bowling alley would also be good, some good restaurants/cafes; Nandos, Cafe Rouge, Pizza Express, Caffe Nero, Yo Sushi!, now that would really put Blackpool on the map.
Just for god sake don’t blow it, this could be the big break we need.
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I don’t disagree, but at the moment it’s like saying NASA is going to build a space centre on the end of Central Pier.
What I mean is, it’s a non-story until they sign the deal, but now the land is locked into that particular developer for the next 5 years or so, so it’s ski dome or bust, with no plan B.
Where have we seen that before?
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I agree there its Fishergate (Preston pun not intended!) all over again, I just hope they do the deal signed and get it going then we can see some action.
Speaking of Preston they made the mistake of giving Grosvenor a 250-year lease on a huge chunk of their town centre for free. Now much to my delight and amusement today Grosvenor has pulled out of Shitebarn. Tithebarn is crumbling just like the casino and they have no Plan B.
So I agree we should err on the side of caution until it is a done deal but I really hope this one comes off
PS Great picture
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“Tithebarn is crumbling just like the casino and they have no Plan B. ”
lol lol lol, welcome to the real world,
well said TB.
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I kind of feel sorry for them in a way now , NOT It is spoiling my fun in gloating about how it will never happen. Lend Lease are claiming they are ‘committed’ to Pretend City but someone cheekily posted an article on the LEP about how Lend Lease is putting a project in Dundee a fraction of the size on hold because of the recession. Also isn’t this the same Lend Lease who ditched a £500m project in Stockport last August because of the credit crunch and then signed up to Tithebarn, but only because Grosvenor could prop them up. I expect an announcement Lend Lease has pulled out any day now.
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I just hope to fuck this latest thing comes off, we have had so may disapointments etc.
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Well said Too many disappointments I actually have some confidence in this one though as there is a man with a good track record behind it, a developer that isn’t Lend Lease (who run scared at the smallest hiccup) and plans.
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You forgot the cartoon penis on his forehead.
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True. Maybe a school text book one that curves round into his ear would have been a suitable addition.
It’s the perfect Callow pose though, don’t you think?
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yes PeterCallow, what a cunt.
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Why not? It’d need some hairy, spiky pubes sticking out of the ball sac, though.
Maybe with some spunk jizzing out of the top?
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On another note, today I walked into town and after enjoying looking around the excellent continental market I was extremely disappointed to find a sign at the bus shelter saying ‘BUSES AND TAXIS WILL RESUME ON 19TH OCTOBER’ so despite overwhelming public support for permanent pedestrianisation they have ignored it. I am not impressed with this outcome.
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I absolutely agree that they really need to consider where people are going to park (or public transport options from park and ride areas on the edges of the town) as part of any plan.
And whilst it seems potentially foolish to sign an exclusivity contract, we’re talking about a lot of money here to be invested and the developer probably said do this or I’ll go elsewhere. I sincerely hope that Blackpool demanded a good wadge of cash for this at the very least. It is a gamble, but if it does go ahead, it’ll be great for the area.
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There’s just not enough info in the article to make a reasonable assessment as to what is being reported (not a surprise, given Shelagh Parkinson’s propensity for reporting Callow’s constant good news. Is his arse really a secondary source of solar power?).
Like Phil, I think that we have to seriously consider anything that’s on offer to us – we’re not in a position to be choosy. However, I would caution against signing away so much of that land without wider consultation. Mind you, I would say that, wouldn’t I?
Admittedly, the largest snow dome/ resort in Europe would be a good development for Blackpool, if it’s the best we can do. I feel that something on this scale would be better off on the edges of town, though – as has been pointed out, parking will be a nightmare, exacerbated only by the ongoing ineptitude of councillors and officers. But then, either they’re batshit mad and genuinely believe that people will cycle to Blackpool for their holidays, there are incentives for reducing parking spaces or they know that visitor numbers will continue to dwindle and parking requirements will be reduced in future. Which is it to be? They at least owe us the truth.
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Slightly bemused to read that ‘Tories love to hobnob with local businessmen… such as Owen Oyston’.
An ardent Labour supporter (he was Labour’s biggest private donor in the Kinnock years), you only have to google his name and those of Robert Atkins and Peter Blaker to see from newspaper reports that socialising with the Conservative Party is low down on his list.
You have to wonder, then, if he has been seen drinking with local ‘Tories’ … Are they real Tories?
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If this goes ahead, it will need massive improvements in transport infrastucture to realise its potential, for me, thats where this council will fuck it up.
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Indeed, and with their programme to move the South station to the Pleasure Beach, you wonder what motivates the Council when it comes to transport in the town.
Back handers anyone?
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agreed Phil, that plan is insane,it will only release land for Scum-Kensingtons to build on.
This project is a great idea, its just that we have a shite council who will screw it up.
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But at least this Council is actually giving this one the time of day unlike Fisher who just slammed the door on anything which isn’t a casino. Good riddance to that champagne socialist twat, I see Jack ‘grumpy old socialist whinger’ Croysdill is in the Gazette today with another of his crass anti-Tory ‘Brown is wonderful’ rants. He claims Brown the clown has saved the economy with his ‘clever’ handling of the crisis. This guy clearly lives on another planet, here on Earth Brown has squandered hundreds of billions bailing out banks then allowing them to reward the bankers with obscene bonuses, they deserve no bonuses after the damage they have done. This is also the man who thinks the solution to a £175bn debt is more reckless spending and borrowing. Do us all a favour Croysdill come back to Earth and crawl back down the hole you came from.
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Croysdill has the intellect of a dandelion, he is a disgrace to humanity.
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Too right he is, he clearly doesn’t live on earth with his deluded gibberings he comes out with.
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On behalf of dandelions the world over, I am insulted.
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That other half a brain cell organism Clive Gruntshaw was whinging again the other day with a similar rant. I feel sorry for Lancaster and Fleetwood if he gets in. Like Croysdill he acts as though the world is a perfect utopia under Labour and that Brown has saved the country, what an idiot. Everytime Gruntshaw writes a letter in it is always negative campaigning and smears (favoured Labour tactics). Once he wrote a letter in praising treatment he recieved on the NHS at Blackpool Vic. I work at BVH and I was touched at first to hear him making a nice tribute to what is a great institution, but then I read on and he totally spoiled a nice letter with opportunistic pointscoring. Saying it is thanks to a Labour Government we have such a great NHS, what a tosser. I am glad to hear he had a good experience at BVH but its because of the dedicated people who work there NOT because of Labour.
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Clive CUNTshaw has yet to leave the ANAL phase of his psycho-sexual development.
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TB I am in Wyre, I would rather vote BNP than get that wanker in, he no doubt rung up the UAF, so they could come down (scum that they are) to Cleveleys.
Spot on about the NHS, labour wastes billions on useless “experts”.
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Glad to hear it Harold, but there was an interesting article in the LEP the other day stating how the Conservatives are set to take many key Lancashire seats including Lancaster and Fleetwood (no Grunshaw hopefully!!!) and Wyre and Preston North is safe with Ben Wallace I reckon anyway, the Labour candidate is the Preston version of Simon Blackburn, a cocky arrogant young councillor Jack Davenport. So I am hoping for a Labour meltdown in Lancashire. As long as Labour doesn’t win I don’t care that much who does.
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Also dead on the money with the NHS, Labour constantly harps on about ‘record investment and spending’ but not on doctors and nurses etc on managers, non-jobs and bureaucracy, public sector jobsworths who Labour will count on their votes. It makes my blood boil hearing Labour called the ‘party of the NHS’, they have fucked the NHS.
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lol hes plankton sat on a semi-fetid turd.
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You can fool some of the people all of the time……………………..
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True Blackpudlian this is some news that will interest you, Grovernor Holdings are to pull out of the Tithebarn scheme, Preston’s big hope is dead.
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Funny you should mention that because I actually mentioned it earlier on, on this article. But thank you for the heads up, I must admit I am happy about it, while Preston ‘city’ Council are claiming everything is still on the cards, Lend Lease the remaining developer doesn’t exactly have a good track record on committment check this out from August 2008 http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?storycode=3120276 I can safely say I am actually glad Lend Lease doesn’t have any eyes on Blackpool. Like I say I don’t have anything against Preston regenerating but it shouldn’t be at the expense of other towns and personally I think the high class retail/leisure and Preston go together like chalk and cheese anyway. Hopefully now they might drop this silly deluded ’3rd city of the NW’ vision and aim a bit more realistically.
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[...] the intention to develop Central with some form of world class attraction, the increase in capacity of Bloomfield Road with the Jimmy Armfield Stand and the prospect of [...]