The Stage

Blackpool council to offer £40m for Tower and Winter Gardens

Published Tuesday 8 December 2009 at 16:25 by Alistair Smith

Blackpool council is preparing a bid, believed to be in the region of £40 million, to buy the resort’s Tower and Winter Gardens from its current commercial operator, so that public money can be used to redevelopment the landmark venues.

The sites, which along with the Golden Mile Centre and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks are now operated by Leisure Parcs, will be subject to a bid from the local authority, if it is successful in obtaining support for the scheme from the European Regional Development Fund. The move follows recommendations made by Howard Bernstein in his report on regenerating the town, following its failed bid to host the UK’s first super-casino.

Peter Callow, leader of Blackpool council, said: “For a long time there have been questions asked of us as to what we can do to help the Winter Gardens and Tower and bring them in line with other regeneration activity in the town.

“They are two of Blackpool’s best assets and a highly significant part of our history that we must build on to secure our future. If we can access the extra funding, we can protect the public’s interest in them and turn these attractions into something that can last well into the 21st century. This is still at the very early stage of the process and there is a great deal of work that needs to be done to secure the funding, but what it does show is the council’s ambition for Blackpool’s future.”

The Tower hosts the famous Tower Circus, while the Winter Gardens is also one of the UK’s leading large-scale entertainment venues and this week hosted the Royal Variety Performance. According to a statement from the council, if the sale goes ahead, funding for the project would include some for capital work on the buildings to rejuvenate the attractions. A decision on the funding is expected in the new year. In the meantime, Leisure Parcs will continue to run the sites.

Doug Garret, chief executive of regeneration organisation ReBlackpool, added: “The Tower and Winter Gardens have been attracting tourists to Blackpool for more than 100 years. By bringing them into public ownership we can ensure they benefit from the additional funding which may be available for their development and making them a platform for the resort to build on and around for the next 100 years.

“Given the potential funding which may be available, the time is right to take this bold step and acquire these assets - which can then underpin the overall regeneration programme for the town to deliver a 21st-century resort.”