How can I find out about the ReBlackpool, Blackpool's Urban Regeneration Company?
A new Urban Regeneration Company (URC) for Blackpool was announced in February 2005 by John Prescott at the Sustainable Communities Summit as a mechanism for bringing Blackpool's vision to reality. ReBlackpool's operation is similar to a private company, with a Board and a small Executive, funded partly by the Council and the North West Development Agency. A shadow Board has already been formed of individuals drawn from a wide range of organisations and is chaired by Sir Peter Hall, one of Britain's most eminent town planners, who was born and went to school in Blackpool, and has an enormous interest in bringing about the town's reinvention and revival.
The URC will cover a 200 hectare area, with a resident population of 31,000, including Blackpool's sea front, main visitor area, town centre and the inner residential neighbourhoods. Blackpool Airport, which has recently been sold by the Council to City Hopper Airports who have significant expansion plans in response to the Masterplan's new vision for Blackpool, will also be included.
A comprehensive regeneration strategy for the next 15 years will be set out for the URC. The Company will seek to secure and accelerate the redevelopment of key sites by prioritising and co-ordinating public and private investment. It will become the primary focus for all major physical regeneration activity in the area. Its objectives will be to create:
(i) A new national and international sustainable, year round entertainment destination
(ii) A place with balanced and healthy neighbourhoods, that is also the retail, business, civic and cultural centre for the Fylde coast sub-region