88 new homes completed at £19.5m Foxhall Village development in Blackpool amid £2bn growth plan

The completion of 88 new homes at Foxhall Village marks another major step in the regeneration of central Blackpool, as part of a £19.5m development within the town’s wider £2bn growth and prosperity programme.

The scheme has transformed a former brownfield site close to Blackpool town centre and seafront into a new neighbourhood for local families. Foxhall Village forms a major part of Blackpool Council’s plans to restore central Blackpool as an area where families want to live and raise their children.

Since plans were first developed in 2011, 282 homes have been built at Foxhall Village, including market sale, social housing and shared ownership properties. The development has replaced former industrial units and run-down B&Bs, with the first phase beginning in 2014.

‘Shared commitment to creating great homes’

Alison Dean, Chief Executive of Great Places Housing Group, said: "It's fantastic to see Foxhall Village complete. We've worked in Blackpool for many years and are proud to have helped deliver 167 affordable homes as part of this wider development.

“Foxhall Village shows what's possible when organisations work together with a shared commitment to creating great homes and stronger communities. It's been exciting to see this neighbourhood take shape and become part of the wider transformation taking place in Blackpool. Most importantly, this is about the customers who now call Foxhall Village home.

“They have access to high-quality, affordable homes in a neighbourhood designed to help people put down roots and thrive.”

Decline in deprivation

The regeneration has also been accompanied by an improvement in the area’s position in the government’s deprivation rankings, with the phase one area rising by 52 places.

The latest 88 homes were delivered by Great Places in partnership with Blackpool Council and Homes England. The £19.5m west site provides homes for affordable rent, including two, three and four-bedroom houses and apartments.

It also includes landscaped walkways, cycle routes and public open spaces connecting residents with the town centre and seafront. The first residents moved in during March 2025, with the final homes handed over this month.

The completion follows a joint effort by Great Places, Blackpool Council and Homes England to secure the future of the scheme after its original developer entered administration in 2019. The first two phases delivered 194 homes, including 79 affordable properties managed by Great Places.

‘High-quality, affordable homes’

Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South, said: "Foxhall Village is a great example of what can be achieved when organisations work together to invest in communities and create opportunities for local people. It’s fantastic to see this development completed and to know that more families now have access to high-quality, affordable homes in the heart of Blackpool."

The wider regeneration has contributed to almost 700 new social homes being built across Blackpool over the past decade, including developments at Foxhall Village and Grange Park and replacement housing at Queens Park and Mereside.

The council’s housing company has also purchased more than 700 private rented properties and converted them into quality accommodation.

Among the latest residents is 57-year-old Blackpool local Mark Birdsill, who moved into a new home on Fenton Way with his 11-year-old granddaughter after downsizing from Grange Park. The night safe worker said the neighbourhood’s community feel has allowed his granddaughter to play outside with friends, while he has also made friends with neighbours.

Further phases at Foxhall Village are being explored, while plans have been submitted for 230 new homes and neighbourhood improvements near Central Drive. The council is also considering new housing at the corner of Central Drive and Rigby Road as part of wider investment in central Blackpool.

‘Better housing, better lives’

Cllr Dave Flanagan, Cabinet Member for Housing at Blackpool Council, said: “Better housing creates better lives. We know from experience that quality, safe and affordable housing improves people’s health, employment and life outcomes, as well as reducing anti-social behaviour and crime and creating neighbourhoods where people want to raise their children.

“We are already seeing the positive impact of Foxhall Village, something that will happen even faster now the west site is complete. That’s a model that we want to replicate to make sure that more people in Blackpool can access social housing, revitalising our neighbourhoods and making Blackpool better for the people who live here.”