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Love chapel bid for Promenade
COUPLES could be able to say "I do" on Blackpool Promenade if a new bid for funding is successful.
Regeneration chiefs are hopeful European cash for a wedding chapel and restaurant on the Tower Festival Headland will be approved early next year.
It will bring investment in the headland up to 14m, following a 4m grant from the Government's Sea Change fund and cash from the Northwest Development Agency.
A planning application has now been submitted to the council so that the headland can be levelled to create a 20,000 capacity open-air arena which will be ready by March 2010.
If approved, it will also see the Promenade reduced from the current four lanes, to just two in front of the Tower.
Doug Garrett, chief executive of regeneration company ReBlackpool, said: "We have made a submission to the European Regional Development Fund for money to put a structure at the north end of the headland.
"It would allow us to provide various elements including a cafe, restaurant and a place to house some of the lighting and sound technology for events. It is also a potential location for a wedding chapel for marriage ceremonies.
"The designs for the comedy carpet art project are still being worked on and remain the central focus for the site.
"Part of the planning application is to reduce the road to two lanes, to make the area more pedestrian friendly."
When large events are held on the headland, traffic will be diverted and the tram service will be suspended in order to allow crowds to gather safely.
Outline planning permission is already in place, but changes need to be made to create a single grand staircase from the headland to the beach and to increase the height of the sea wall.
The parade to the north of the headland will slope to cope with the increasing gradient towards North Pier.
The planning brief says: "The main amendment to the approved scheme has evolved from the desire to create a level event space throughout the headland."
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Weather for Blackpool
Sunday 27 May 2012
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Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
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