In the same week that we have seen £73million of hotels up for sale in the town, Blackpool Council has signed the approval of development for a wedding chapel on the seafront. Questions once again have to be asked about the consultants at ReBlackpool: particularly what mind-altering drugs they are on.
Forecast to be a “much loved landmark” (remember that) by ReBlackpool chief executive Doug Garrett, the bright yellow construction – modelled in the style of Spongebob Squarepants – will dominate the recently built Tower Festival Headland, is said to be costing £2.7million and construction is said to be starting next year.
To be honest I didn’t think there was a massive market for people wanting to get married in Blackpool but I trust that Mr Garrett or one of his overpaid minions has done the necessary homework.
I’m amazed that this is the best that ReBlackpool can come up with and that they really think that gimmicks like this are going to change the fortunes of a town that continues to rest on its laurels. Are ReBlackpool devoid of ideas and prepared to accept any old tat as long as they can attach a price tag and an artist’s impression to it?
I sit and wait for the day that I open the Gasjet and think “YES!” about any of these wild schemes.
Locals don’t need reminding of this, but once again it must be reiterated that infrastructure should be at the core of all material projects in the town. Instead, though, they continue to fritter away our cash with schemes that range from papering over the cracks to outright bizarre.
We’ve seen Peter Callow talking big but revealing himself as a dinosaur, bereft of ideas and vision, unable to see the wood for the trees but happy to spring up and put his name to any speculative cash proposition. This is the man, after all, that brought War of the Worlds to Birley Street.
Even Labour mouthpiece Simon Blackburn has it bang on when he says, “the council should be spending money on things that matter to the people who live and work in the resort.” If Roy Fisher and his cartel were any different I might have taken Blackburn a bit more seriously.
The simple things have been gotten so wrong at the expense of highly visible gimmicks. The town is in bed with the cycling lobby and continues to receive millions for cycling related projects, but what’s the point when the road surfaces are appalling? Road junctions are constantly being reworked and made worse, with dodgy slip roads, unpredictable traffic lights and convergent lanes that encourage dangerous driving to skip past a few cars. It seems sometimes like the council are trying to encourage roadblock, but there’s no alternative.
Pavements are uneven, cracked and subsiding. Bus routes are slow, buses are horrible and old with the services due to be cut in order to reduce outgoings in relation to the free OAP bus pass. The tram system is a financial loser but again is receiving the “lick of paint” treatment in the form of a £100million renewal of the tracks including a £20million depot at Starr Gate and some new trams. It’s still going to be a loser. Maxine Callow wants to cut the Blackpool South train line, removing another transport link.
In the town’s heyday it was so much better, trains connected the town with everywhere and as a result the place was booming. Reduction after reduction in service and investment in the railway has killed it off, with Preston being the beneficiary as a local transport, shopping and business hub and Blackpool having a sad excuse for a station in an even sadder location.
Transport always seems to be the last thing on the council’s mind. Look at the jams all the way up Adelaide Street due to the Houndshill revamp. Look at the cock up with St. Johns square. It has been said that it takes longer to get into Blackpool than it does to travel 19 miles to Preston.
Even if the transport links were perfect, though, the town requires places of quality. There might be Bella Italia but you wont find Pizza Express, Cafe Nero or Nando’s. You wont find John Lewis. You wont find a Gap or a FCUK. You wont even find Wetherspoons.
You will, however, find Home Bargains, Poundland, Phones4U, Even more Phones4U and Primark. You will find derelict buildings – some with smashed windows – left to rack and ruin, some with council-funded placards embossing their windows to hide the squatters. You will find a dirty, derelict-looking Winter Gardens plastered in flyers; a landmark structure left to die after Trevor Hemmings’ casino gamble failed to pay off.
The Winter Gardens is representative of the town, a lot like the Talbot Road bus station is. Old and once attractive, these structures have snowballed down the slope of neglect, losing purpose and value. They have fallen out of date and need demolishing or mind blowing investment.
Vincents, of Cedar Square, is reportedly receiving said investment in the form of an £80,000 facelift with the Council footing 75% of that. It’s not a bad idea but like every council project the cost to product ratio is stratospheric. But it’s just a lick of paint: again. It’ll still be a wannabe cafe, staffed by the remnants of a failed radio repair shop in Krakow, serving up prepacked Brake Brothers crap heated up in a microwave at Michelin-starred prices. It’d soon get a cracking reputation if it served proper food, high prices or not.
But where’s the China Red? Where’s the Michaels? Where’s the Twelve? Where’s the Portofino’s or the Chicory?
Where are the professional businesses? Where’s the nearest cinema?
When’s the next train to Manchester?
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Superb and true comment.
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Blackpool Maldives Blackpool Maldives it would have to be the Maldives – it will be cheaper and as for the weather!
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Brilliant phil truly brilliant,god that council has to go but never to be replaced by a labour one either!
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Excellent post Phil.
Sacking is too good for these fucking idiots!
knee-capping is the least they deserve.
Roll on May 2011!!!!!!!!!!
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here here troobloo,I can never see Blackpool regenerating, in my lifetime , to a decent standard and I am 41.
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Fantastic and very true statement Phil. I especially agree about the lack ogf quality shops and eateries. Its like St Johns Square looks great and I feel the old Next would be an ideal site for a casual eatery like Nandos, Cafe Rouge or Pizza Express, yet instead we get that Pricebusters Megastore blighting the vibrant square (although hopefully it will be gone soon, it is up for rent). We need that monstrosity Talbot Road bus station demolishing and a new purpose built one, although there is plans for a transport interchange in Talbot Gateway. We also need direct links to London, Birmingham and Glasgow, no more change at Pretend City.
I would love to see a younger and more dynamic council but NOT a Labour one, Labour destroyed Blackpool so I never ever want to see a Labour council in again. Also we need new MPs that are actually dedicated to Blackpool unlike the useless self-servers we have now. Also sack Weaver, Cavill and Steve Broomhead (NWDA chief) all useless overpaid jobsworths and get some people in who are actually capable of doing the job.
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why did callow keep these twats?
why not advertise for a new team?
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Why couldn’t they get Donald Trump to come and develop here. There is all the hoo haa over this golf resort he is trying to build in Scotland so why doesn’t he come here where I am sure his money would be welcome. This Government is making no effort to regenerate Blackpool so the private sector is the way forward. Most of the best developments in the country; MEN/Echo arenas, Mailbox, Birmingham (google, very interesting development), The Triangle Manchester all funded by the private sector. So come on Blackpool Council get the private sector in here but avoid Lend Lease at all costs, they run away the second they forsee any hurdles.
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TB what is lend lease?
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Its an Australian property developer, the key developer behind the Shitebarn project in Pretend City although hopefully they will pull out soon as they have a terrible track record for commitment. In August 2008 they had a massive project like Tithebarn planned in Stockport. But then the second signs of the credit crunch appeared they ditched the project and legged it only to sign up to Tithebarn 2 months later. So in other words I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.
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Donald Trump is only interested in viable business opportunities. If the Council don’t give a shit, why should he?
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True but at least his investment would be welcomed by the people of Blackpool. If Scotland are telling him they’re not interested then why not come somewhere he would be welcomed with open arms. Then again Scotland aren’t exactly known for making good decisions; Labour won by a safe majority in a by-election what a surprise. This is another reason why I would back the English Democrats so we can have an English Parliament. The current system in unfair and undemocratic and Nick Griffin had the right idea I had to admit. Why do we have Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and UK (NOT English) Parliament. So Scots and Welsh people can dictate how we run our country and we can’t touch them. They can’t have it both ways.
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Every credit to the leafleter in Poulton, concerning the traveller scum buying that land.
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For you TB: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/stephaniegutmann/100016662/fort-hood-shows-that-theres-still-political-correctness-in-the-us-army/
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mmm i love china red
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China Whites the best!
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We have 17 months to set up a group of 10,20,30 perhaps even 40 viable Independent Council Candidates, then select the best to run for Independent Executive Mayor of Blackpool.
But you cannot do it via your PC or in a few weeks in 2011, start now or do not bother.
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I agree completely we should have an independent executive mayor. At the moment the office of Mayor is just an elitist ‘ceremonial’ position to reward long-serving councillors. I think it should be the same as in London where the Mayor actually has executive powers not just cutting ribbons and appearing in the Gazette for photo ops. The Mayor should also have the power to hire and fire the Council Chief Executive so we can finally get shot of Weaver.
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I was in the Red Lion in Bispham last night and there was a massive party going on including a live band. I asked what it was about, and apparently it was a party for the Mayor!
Everyone in there was fat and old so it’s a fair bet that it was rammed with councillors, and no doubt we were footing the bill.
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How do you propose going about this recruitment of 40 independent candidates, then?
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13 Nov 2009, 11:09
Doug Garrett, chief executive of ReBlackpool, the urban regeneration company, is negotiating a new role in the town’s recovery as he prepares to hand over to a new agency.
Garrett said he will not be putting his hat in to the ring for the £125,000-a-year post being advertised for chief executive of the forthcoming Fylde Coast Economic Development Company.
Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, will also step down from his part-time role as chairman of ReBlackpool. A new chairman will be recruited on £20,000-a-year for working roughly four days each month.
ReBlackpool will be wound up in April 2010 and replaced by the Fylde Coast EDC. The new quango is being established to oversee the multi area agreement for the sub-region which was recently signed off by ministers.
Garrett added: “The Fylde Coast role is a wider one that takes in not just town centre development but economic, housing, transport and planning issues in a larger area. I will be staying in Blackpool and will not be going for the new chief executive’s job.”
Garrett said talks with the local authority and partners about creating a new role for him, still involved in Blackpool’s physical regeneration, were ongoing. Details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The economic development company is being established by the four local authorities of Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre and Lancashire County Council together with the North West Development Agency and the Homes & Communities Agency.
A three-year business plan is aimed at accelerating the Fylde Coast economy from its poor position at only 73% of the UK average. The founding partners warn that ‘our economic forecasts for this MAA show that without intervention GVA per head in 2018 will not even have reached the 2008 level in the North West region.’
The Fylde Coast area has a population of 320,000 and boasts the resort of Lytham St Annes and port of Fleetwood as well as Blackpool.
Recruitment consultancy Gatenby Sanderson has been retained to fill the EDC posts. Closing date for applications is 30 November.
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BFA, whats your source please? links?
When DC gets in next election, the fyldes income will fall when he sacks all those civil servants, we will suffer BIG TIME.
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We’ll suffer even worse if Labour stays in with their reckless squandering of money on non-jobs and quangos.
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I take your point but civil service jobs need to be cut simply because Labour has continued to create non-jobs, departments and consultancies for every single little thing.
It’s one thing to give MoD civil servants a £55million bonus bucket but quite another to create non-jobs that are not needed just to improve employment figures, complete with big juicy final salary pension.
Also round here, most if not all of the civil service posts are out on a limb somewhere rather than adjacent to facilities or shops, but the town centre could not cope if they relocated there.
But this is why Labour have failed. Had Blackpool modernised and brought in the high quality establishments we desire, linked us up with proper electrified railways, completely sorted out the bollocks one way system, implemented trams to south shore, layton, bispham village, and poulton, taken steps to recover from the casino setback instead of waiting for the next flavour of the month artists impression to come flying in via carrier pig, then we might have a “business district” without the Council needing to blow £220million on trying to create one.
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I dont disagree there Phil, its just that the fylde is so dependent on the civil,slash that and the Fylde is fucked, period.
Failure council, failure government.
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TB, DC will slash the Civil Service;the Fyldes main employer, where will all these people work, when they are put on the dole?
It will crucify Blackpools regeneration, the effects on Blackpool will be horrendous.
I hate labour but I hate tory as well.
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Fair point I can see what you are saying.
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- Well it seems all the paedophiles in the North West will be joining their UAF supporters in Hindley Green.
The UAF support legislation to decrimanlise paedophilia, as well as sharia law and for the release of Peter Sutcliffe for his services to the community.
Weather wont be nice for them,in the freezing rain, screamin and spinning about in their own faeces.
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I think UAFare the true fascists, trying to suppress free speech. An organisation mostly populated by lefty Oxbridge kids, get back to your studying and leave politics to the grown ups.
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whoever gets in next yaer will slash civil service jobs and blackpool will suffer,theres nothing else here.
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I just wished that bastard Roy Fisher got sacked and deported.
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bit generous!
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Nice wish I second it, but very generous. Whatever bright spark put him as NHS Blackpool Chairman should also be sacked, as I am sure his appointment has nothing whatsoever to do with Ivan Taylor (local Labour rent-a-moan) being on the board of directors. There was a press release saying ‘We chose Roy because of his experience on Blackpool Council and local knowledge’ they must have the wrong man clearly. His experience on Blackpool Council should stop him from ever working in the public sector ever again.
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The National Audit Office has refused to sign off the Equalities and Human Rights Commission’s £70 million accounts at the same time that Trevor Phillips has been formally accused of making money on the side from the taxpayer-funded organisation.
The EHRC, famous for is now in disarray after Mr Phillips’s cronyism and financial shenanigans were exposed before Parliament’s human rights committee.
A preliminary report revealed that Mr Phillips had set up a private company called Equate which “advises” companies on equalities issues.
Equate clearly traded on the association of Mr Phillips with the EHRC, and that body’s chief executive of the EHRC, Nicola Brewer, advised him that there was a “perceived conflict of interest.”
As a result, Mr Phillips said, he stood down as a director of that company in October 2008.
However, the committee then heard that three staff members at the EHRC are now involved with a consultancy firm called Diversity And Management which has links to Equate.
Grilled on the link, Mr Phillips admitted to the committee that when Equate was offered work which he did not want to get involved with, it would sometimes be referred to Diversity And Management.
Realising the implications of his admission, Mr Phillips quickly tried to bluster his way through it by saying, “My business interest is not a novel arrangement.”
Mr Phillips’s side income was not the only topic to be raised before the committee.
He was also accused of “sanitising” internal criticism of his actions and of appointing underqualified people over the heads of more suitable people “because they were his friends.”
Dissension within the EHRC’s board recently saw four members resign in protest at Mr Phillips’s management and cronyism. The former chief executive also left the organisation at the same time.
One of the board members who resigned, Mr Ben Summerskill, said that Mr Phillips had appointed “toadies and cronies” to the EHRC, adding: “I am aware that Trevor as chairman has at least twice interfered inappropriately in the appointment of commissioners to promote the candidacy of either inappropriate or less well qualified personal friends of his.”
Professor Francesca Klug, a human rights academic, added: “Some would not dare challenge the chair. When we did, we were either ignored or isolated. There was an atmosphere that I experienced of intimidation in holding the chair to account.”
Mr Phillips dismissed suggestions that he should resign in the face of the evidence before the committee.
Trever Philips is a cunt and deserves to die of cancer, slowly.
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[...] Starr Gate is a largely residential area located at the end of the tram line. One of few residential areas remotely near a tram stop, in fact. Homes have something of a sea view. Why choose there to build this huge depot? It’s hardly in-keeping with the area. Why spend a fortune rebuilding the promenade if you’re going to wreck it by approving horrors like this or like the crazy wedding chapel? [...]