Car parking plan for Blackpool town centre given go ahead

Town hall planners used their delegated powers to approve an application by the council to demolish empty buildings on South King Street and Albert Road, and use the site for temporary car parking.

The scheme, which includes bulldozing a building previously used as the town's register officer, will ease parking pressure in the area which includes a large number of hotels on nearby streets such as Charnley Road and Albert Road, as well as providing parking for events at the Winter Gardens.

It will provide an additional 51 spaces, bringing the total number of spaces on the land up to 105, with vehicular access from Charnley Road. Calls have also been made to create a pedestrian access into Albert Road.

Temporary permission has been granted for a period of up to three years, with the land earmarked for housing development in the longer term.

The cost of the project will be £600,000, but the development will save £160,000 in annual running costs for the buildings, as well as bringing in additional parking revenue.

Laycock House and a base formerly used by staff working for Children's Services will be demolished, and a new brick wall and railings are proposed along South King Street and Albert Road.

A report setting out the planning decision says: "The additional 51 car parking spaces could support users of the town centre and guests of nearby holiday accommodation, and this weighs in favour of the scheme."

It adds: "Socially, the proposed demolition of the buildings are required to facilitate the council’s longer term vision for housing delivery as set out in the emerging Local Plan. "

The register office was the site of many weddings over the years but ceremonies have been held at the Wedding Chapel on Central Promenade since it opened in 2012.

Staff from Children's Services who occupied the offices on Albert Road have also been relocated, leaving that property empty.

Both buildings date back to the early 1980s when they were commissioned by Lancashire County Council which ran services in the town at that time.