Blackpool History, Mystery, Heritage and Hauntings

  So in 1897 Warley Road Congregational Church, Blackpool: This temporary church, on the corner of Warley Road and Gynn Avenue was founded: the members of the Victoria Congregational Church had raised £2,096 in their Jubilee fund which was used to establish the Warley Road church.  Renamed as Claremont Congregational Church was then opened there on the 30 th of August 1901. The chapel cost £5,000 and the land another £1,000. It was built by the Mayor, Alderman T H Smith, from the designs of Anderson, Simon, and Crawford, architects, of Edinburgh. The church was not consecrated until 1932. The Claremont Congregational Lecture Hall and Assembly Rooms opened on the 18 th of March 1908. In 1972, the church became the Claremont United Reformed Church , but closed in 1994. The building later became the Kings Christian Centre , but this had closed down by 2014. It was demolished in October 2017, to be replaced by 15 apartments.  ( extra information by Nick Moore )  ...

Taken back in 2013 ( please forgive the dreadful HDR ! )  Jan 2019 I wrote the following post on #The scheme for the Cedar Tavern in Cedar Square, which is currently closed, has been given the go ahead by Blackpool Council using delegated planning powers. Resort-based architect Joseph Boniface has drawn up the designs which include a roof extension to form a rooftop seating area giving customers views over the town centre. Alterations will also be made to the existing facade to lower the sills and enlarge the three windows onto Wood Street. The building, which dates back to the 1930s and was originally used as an insurance centre, is locally listed and sits within the town centre conservation area. A design statement, which accompanied the application, says the town centre “currently lacks quality drinking establishments” and the aim is “to cater to a market which is currently under-represented.” Work will include restoring parts of the facade which have been damaged ...

Bit of a long read..however fingers crossed that we get some of this funding for he town ! Blackpool Council is ready to bid for significant government funding up to £25m that will help to renovate, transform and strengthen the future of the town centre as the next phase of its ambitious Town Centre Regeneration Strategy. Blackpool is one of 100 towns that has been shortlisted across the UK to develop plans to reinvent the high street, where a portion of the £1bn Future High Streets Fund could be used in a number of ways: To improve transport and access to the town Convert empty retail units into new homes, workplaces or places of leisure Upgrade vital infrastructure such as new public spaces or improving new smart digital technology for a vibrant, modern retail and leisure experience The Future High Streets Fund is a government scheme launched in 2018 as part of the £6.5bn Towns Fund designed initially to support and fund 50 local areas’ plans to make their high st...

The council has created a 25-year vision for the Revoe area of Blackpool, to improve the neighbourhood and rejuvenate areas including  Central Drive and Library Square.   The plan has been submitted by masterplanner GL Hearn to the council for sign-off. Revoelution, a residents committee formed to drive regeneration in Revoe, supported the creation of the masterplan. Improvements to existing housing stock and a boost to connectivity through the creation of green routes are among the proposals. Tree planting and new paving are aimed at revamping the street scene along with the creation of spaces for community initiatives.   A study, conducted last year by the Ministery of Housing, Communities & Local Government, found that Central Drive was the second most deprived community in the country, based on factors including i ncome, employment, crime, education, health, housing, and local environment.   The Governm...