Nikal Ltd and Media Invest Entertainment’s £300m Blackpool Central project has been given the green light by Blackpool Council’s planning committee.
Nikal Ltd and Media Invest Entertainment submitted a detailed planning application earlier this year for the first phases of the development, which include a car park with 1,306 spaces and a Heritage Quarter.
Blackpool Central is expected to create approximately 1,000 new jobs and attract 600,000 additional visitors to the Lancashire coastal resort annually.
“This is a key moment for levelling up Blackpool’s visitor economy post-COVID,” said Richard Fee, CEO at Nikal.
“Blackpool Central will help transform and future-proof the town’s tourism offer, and last night’s approval is an important step forward in our journey.”
Blackpool Central plans approved
“We have worked hard to ensure that the scheme will complement Blackpool’s current attractions and wider leisure offer,” Fee added.
Outline plans for a public events square, three indoor entertainment centres, restaurants, and a hotel at Blackpool Central were also given the green light by the council.
Blackpool Central is no longer naming one of its three indoor theme parks after 1968 book Chariots of the Gods?, which Media Invest Entertainment owns the rights to.
The site’s existing heritage buildings will form the Heritage Quarter, which will feature an Artisan Food Hall, as well as an outdoor space for al fresco dining. The King Edward VII pub will be refurbished and transformed.
Blackpool Central’s planning approval follows a public consultation with the local community, which involved more than 700 people, 90 percent of whom expressed their support for the development.
UK attraction includes theme parks
“This decision is fantastic news for the rejuvenation of the town,” said Norbert Reichart, CEO at Media Invest Entertainment.
“Blackpool is the undisputed entertainment capital of the UK and our scheme will help cement the town as a must visit year-round destination for generations to come.”
“The resurgence of staycations and the UK opening back up to international tourists creates huge opportunities moving forward to attract more visitors and encourage tourists to stay longer on their trips to Blackpool,” he added.
Construction of the car park and Heritage Quarter is expected to begin in 2022. It will take around two years to complete. During this time, Nikal Ltd and Media Invest Entertainment will prepare a detailed planning application for the wider scheme.
Blackpool has also started construction on the £13m Showtown attraction, the seaside resort’s first museum of fun and entertainment, opening in April 2023.
Images: Blackpool Central
