Blackpool

[Zim Flyer]

Originally Posted by Chorley Boi

zim u really love bpool! y?

Has any further info regarding the new trams been established

I do mate

Yeh we should hear in April who has won the contract to build the new trams, so I'll be posting hopefully lots of lovely pictures of what we are going to get.

Originally Posted by U475 Foxtrot

That's a real shame. That's only just been refurbished hasn't it? I'm sure I saw it was while I was working on the new Houndshill shopping centre before christmas.

Gutting that that some low life can do such a thing.

yeh it had and it looked really nice, sadly it is now being demolished as the building is unsafe.

They have given it a 50 50 chance that they can save the front roundal part of the building but it's looking bleak and from what I can hear everyone in Blackpool is really angry about one of their finest buildings being destroyed by some prat. Apart from the destruction of the building he killed lots of animals including cats and parrots in the fire as he started the fire in a pet shop.

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/15...39s.5000557.jp

[ferge]

Probably stealing Zim's thunder here, so sorry! but..

Plan to transform famous resort

The project is one of a number planned to revitalise the resort
The seaside resort Blackpool is set to undergo a £220m transformation with new hotels, shops and restaurants planned.

The Talbot Gateway project also includes new offices, a supermarket and cafes on a site near Blackpool North train station.

The work is set to start in 2011, creating hundreds of jobs.

It is hoped that the plans will give the resort a boost, after its failure to secure a super casino licence. An agreement is set to be signed later.

The Talbot Gateway agreement is to be signed by Blackpool Council and Muse Developments.

'Family-friendly'

Sir Howard Bernstein, chairman of ReBlackpool, the local regeneration body, said: "This project will transform a neglected and under-utilised area of the town into a welcoming family-friendly gateway, encouraging more people to visit, providing better services for local people and encouraging inward investment."

Work is expected to start after a period of local consultation and planning permission procedures.

The project is one of a number planned to revitalise Blackpool.

More than 9.8 million people visited the resort in 2007, compared to about 20 million a year in the 1980s.

[Zim Flyer]

Ferge with news like this you can steal my thunder any time

Really really good ews and will go along way to uplifting the image of Blackpool for anyone arriving by public transport.

[MrFaceHead]

Why can't we have nice things? I hate the way some dumb graffiti tag gets sprayed on a nice brand new wall, wherever it is. Arson is a bit worse than that mind. By the way, the contigent of alcoholics and drug users stumbling around UK town centres is only going to get worse, so look out.

[Zim Flyer]

Just a brief update.

Blackpool is to build 5 30 meter tall illuminated blades of grass and two giant sea saws on the new headlands on the Prom along with bins, seats and bicycle racks for them all at a cost of 2million:




http://www.nce.co.uk/news/structures...201389.article

[Zim Flyer]

Just had a cracking week in Blackpool and here are some updates on developments:

The on going pedestrianisation of Blackpool Town Centre continues at a pace with new lights being installed and a plaza being created outside the Winter Gardens at St John's Precinct costing 4.5 million:





Sorry for the fences being in the way of the renders on this one:





The Centre piece will be a huge statue called the Wave which is costing 500,000 and will be installed later this year.

Blackpool is also installing these very large lights through out the town centre which produce light displays as well as standard night time lighting:



The other big lighting project is on Birley Street which is the installation of 6 huge arches which will produce light and sound displays through out the street:

You can just see the scale of the arches in these pictures:





and these are the close ups:






The other big ongoing construction project is the Prom and it's coming on nicely:

This is the Tower Headland which will be a major outdoor concert venue once completed:



and from the tower:



and work continues along the rest of the prom (not the grass at the top of the picture)



The work in the above picture is also important for Blackpool's future as they are laying pipes to stop sewage from being dumped on the Blackpool beaches so the sewage overflow will now be treated at Fleetwood.

Blackpool needs some greenery on it's front and apart from the grass they are also planting some flower beds, this is a close up of the planted areas so far:





All in all some very postive developments in Blackpool, they key project though still remains the Talbot Gateway because that area looks dreadful.

Sadly one major bit of bad news was the act of arson on the Yates building and neighbouring shops, it pains me so much to see it like this but no complete picture of architecture in Blackpool would be complete without it:





One good bit of news directly oppersite the Yates building the old Clifton Hotel has been fully restored and looks lovely (I took this last night which is why the picture is gloomy and doesn't do it full justice):

[ferge]

Great snaps, Zim.. Good to see so much work being done not only on the front but on the streets, just needs more work on the buildings; slowly but surely the place will come alive. Good to see some green, green always makes me happy

[delores]

Great updates and the greenery is making a massive difference already. I love the restoration of the hotel, now carry this on down the whole seafront add an avenue of trees.

[Zim Flyer]

Just a brief update but an important one, the horrible concrete bridge seen in the picture below is as we speak being demolished tonight. It's all part of the Regeneration of the Prom:

[Zim Flyer]

A couple of updates, the new light and sound arches on Birley street are almost complete and testing has begun, someone has recorded one of the tests. I would not like to live on Birley street but it is a brilliant bit of street art that they are creating:



The other bit of news is Blackpool is to build a chapel of love on the new Prom for weddings and will move it's main registration office there:



http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/bl...ove.5491711.jp

[delores]

what is the street art precisely for? looks interesting all the same.

I also have reservations about the street lighting looking like war of the worlds set pieces as apposed to good street furniture, I don't know what to make of it really.

[Zim Flyer]

Originally Posted by delores

what is the street art precisely for? looks interesting all the same.

I also have reservations about the street lighting looking like war of the worlds set pieces as apposed to good street furniture, I don't know what to make of it really.

Yeh it's a strange one and there is nothing else like it I know in the country. It's all part of linking the town centre to the illuminations (as seen in this area):



Latest pictures of construction can be seen here:

http://www.bpbforum.co.uk/viewtopic....t=540&start=20

right up to the Winter Gardens and the St Johns Precinct Project:





Latest pictures of construction can be seen here:

www.bpbforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=348

The whole thing will mean Blackpool's town centre will be free of cars when it's all completed.


Another brief update and the architects for the new Chappel of Love are De Rijke Marsh Morgan and costruction will start later this year and will be opened in 2011.

Here are some close up renders:

[delores]

Hopefully this chapel is only the start of better things for Blackpool, I can see it as a place for experimental architecture.

[CDX]

New hotel(& temporary car park) planning application:
Hotel planning application here

Plans for £10m resort hotel
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/bl...tel.5604690.jp
01 September 2009

PLANS were unveiled today for a £10m hotel in the centre of Blackpool, boasting nearly 200 bedrooms.

A block of buildings on Adelaide Street, next to the Winter Gardens, would be demolished to make way for the five to seven-storey hotel with 192 rooms.

In the meantime, developers Kewdeal propose to use the land, bounded by Leopold Grove and Alfred Street, as a car park.

The company has applied for temporary planning permission for a car park for three years, but says it is already talking to possible operators for the hotel, which would be aimed at the three-star market.

Kewdeal managing director Martin Roat said: "We would anticipate a three-star hotel but we are in discussions with a number of people.

Until we get planning consent, we can't really say much more.
"But we think this is an excellent site for that use and believe Blackpool is in need of some contemporary, modern hotels."

A planning application has been submitted to the council, which
includes flood risk, transport and environmental impact statements.

The hotel would have 44 parking spaces and be accessed from Leopold Grove. The buildings to be demolished have been empty for some time.

Those on Adelaide Street were previously used as solicitors' and accountants' offices, while small hoteliers on Alfred Street have
already moved out.

Coun Doug Green, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Blackpool Council, is joint-owner of one of the buildings which was the base for his accountancy firm before it relocated.

He said: "I would be unhappy with the site being left as a car park for three years and would prefer to see the developers make a renewal of the property at an early date.

"It would cost a lot to make any of these properties into a modern building.

"They need demolishing but I would like to see them move to their future development at an early date."

Also tender issued last week for sea wall/headland construction work:

UK-Blackpool: sea wall construction work
2009/S 167-241175

Short description of the contract or purchase(s):

a) Tower Festival Headland and Parade 5 Enhancement (Lot 1).
b) Section 7 Coastal Protection Enhancement (Lot 2).

[Zim Flyer]

It will be great if that hotel is built, what concerns me is that is that they want to demolish and leave it as a car park for three years whilst they raise the funding. I would say only demolish once you have the funding in place to build a hotel.

On another front the new Wave structure is currently being installed on the new St John's Precinct area outside the Winter Gardens and looks beautiful:

http://blackpoolaloud.org.uk/forums/...28Completed%29

[ferge]

I do like 'the Wave' but I mean it seems a weird location for it, (Blackpool) its surfer connotations I'd imagine are a little lost on a town centre ..

Also, good to see hotel's being proposed. A place can have all the new sculptures and landscaping it wants but without rebuilding the crumbly, mundane buildings with some nicer stuff

[Zim Flyer]

Just a couple of brief updates:

Brilliance is almost completed, they are just about to start laying bricks for the floor work now as can been in the pictures on Blackpool Aloud:

http://blackpoolaloud.org.uk/forums/...28Completed%29

It really does look awesome and will really help to open up this part of the town centre:



St John's Plaza is looking lovely and will be all set for the Queen's visit for the Royal Variety show in December:

http://blackpoolaloud.org.uk/forums/...28Completed%29

We also have the new illuminated musical fountains installed and working:

http://blackpoolaloud.org.uk/forums/...28Completed%29

[Zim Flyer]

Was in Blackpool on Sunday and managed to get a few pics of the St Johns Square works:



The Square looks lovely and the quality of the stone work is of a really high standard.

The waterfall lights up at night and works along side some nice musical sets.

As for the Wave, I love it, it really is a great piece of work, which again lights up at night:





and at last we have trees:



and looking down in to Town from the Square which was heaving:



and then we have Brilliance on Birley street which also leads up to St Johns Square, it's looking really good and I can't wait to see it at night time, they are currently laying the stone floor, which will connect up to St John's Square:







The new Prom is looking great and the grass really makes such a difference, we just need more trees now but that will happen with the launch of my tree charity next year (watch this space):



I also had a long walk down Lytham Road which is in a dreadful state but there is hope for the South of the Town, as it has long been neglected and that hope comes with a small project to rebuild Waterloo Road which leads to Blackpool South train Station and crosses Lytham Road, they have basically re build the road to make it more pedestrian friendly, added new lights, new benches and the odd bush, this is the entrance to Waterloo Road from Lytham Road and it hasn't cost much but it really does look alot better (which goes to show regeneration doesn't have to cost a fortune):





Looking up to Blackpool South:



and Looking down Waterloo Road itself, it could do with a few trees but we are getting there, slowly but surely road by road.

[CDX]

Wow, big plans...

Plans revealed for Blackpool snow dome
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/bl...now.5735912.jp
Published Date: 15 October 2009

THE Gazette can today reveal multi-million pound plans for a massive indoor snow dome – slap bang in the middle of Blackpool.

Two-thirds the height of The Tower, the stunning world class family attraction would be built on the 20-acre Central car park site – once earmarked for the resort's ill-fated supercasino.

Blackpool Council has signed an exclusive agreement with a group of developers who will now investigate the feasibility of a scheme which it is hoped will create more than 3,000 full-time jobs by 2015.

Featuring five ski slopes, bars, shops and hotel, Blackpool's winter wonderland – likened to Centre Parcs on ice – would be three times the size of Manchester's Chill Factor ski centre.

Council leader Peter Callow said: "This will put Blackpool in the big league. We're talking about something that can change the face of the resort."

FOR THE FULL STORY PICK UP A COPY OF THURSDAY'S GAZETTE

[b4mmy]

those lamps are damn funky Zim



and brilliant how your flash lit up the sign and nothing else.... could be the start of a new genre no?