Blackpool regeneration: Tramway extension, Holiday Inn, Fraser's, Backlot Cinema, Wilkos, Blackpool Central - these are the key developments in 2023
In 2023 there will be no let up in the pace of regeneration in Blackpool as projects - including some previously delayed - are finally completed, while others reach key milestones.
Probably most keenly awaited has been the £23m tramway extension to connect the Promenade with
Blackpool North railway station via new track on Talbot Road.
The scheme was due to finish by July 2019 but stalled due to hold ups in other developments including the relocation of the
Wilko store.
Now town hall chiefs say it will open in May or June 2023 with the new terminal and underpass linking it to the train station both finished.
Once contractors working on the new Holiday Inn hotel - also due to open in 2023 - leave the site, the trams will start running.
Council leader Coun Lynn Williams said: "Our regeneration programme is an important part of our strategy for the future of the town.
"It will of course bring fabulous new facilities and an improved environment that can be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike, but much more importantly it helps to drive the economy of the town and bring in investment, job opportunities and improved prosperity for the people of Blackpool.
"2023 is gearing up to be an exciting year with a number of key regeneration projects reaching their conclusion.
"The opening of the Holiday Inn and tramway extension will all create new jobs and bring more people into the town centre, boosting trade for other businesses.
"It is also going to be a big year of change at the Houndshill Shopping Centre with the new cinema opening its doors and the former Debenhans store re-opening with new tenants."
The tramway extension fell behind schedule due to the long drawn out process of purchasing and redeveloping the Wilko site.
It is now hoped the hotel will open in time for the 2023 Illuminations season.
Coun Mark Smith, cabinet member for Business, Enterprise and Job Creation, said: “Work at the new Holiday Inn hotel at the Talbot Gateway is progressing well.
“Most of the external façades on the hotel are now complete and work has started on fitting out the bedrooms. We expect the construction work to be complete early summer with the hotel welcoming its first guests for the 2023 Illuminations season.
“The tramway extension is complete and the trams have been successfully tested. The overhead wires have been taken down to enable work to be undertaken at the hotel.”
The scheme is among a number of investments due to be completed in 2023 - while others are set to make progress, some are at the planning stage and still more await government announcements on funding.
The 144 room hotel on Talbot Road has been built as part of a £34m project including a new tram terminal and underpass linking the terminal to North Station.
The hotel, which will include a Marco’s New York Italian restaurant, and create around 70 jobs, is due to open in time for the 2023 Illuminations season, but the tramway extension will open earlier - hopefully late spring or early summer.
The £21m extension includes the Backlot Cinema which will boast an IMAX immersive screen and is due to open early summer.
The Wilko store, which is on the ground floor of the development, is due to open in spring.