Expansion of Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone to create hundreds of new jobs on Fylde coast
Development land at a key expansion of Blackpool's business park is set to become available this summer, with the potential to create hundreds of new jobs on the Fylde coast.
Blackpool Council's Executive has agreed to sell development land between Common Edge Road and Amy Johnson Way to businesses looking to expand or relocate.
The first round of plots will be available for sale this spring, with access to the land for site investigations expected to begin in the summer.
A major new £18.5m road, which will connect Common Edge Road to Amy Johnson Way, is currently under construction and is anticipated to open later this year.
Cllr Mark Smith, Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment at Blackpool Council, said: “The Enterprise Zone is a major part of our plans to make Blackpool better by creating jobs for local people.
“By creating new development land, we will help Blackpool and Fylde coast businesses to grow and expand. We’re currently building the road to access this land and are making great progress.
“We expect this land to be popular with business in Blackpool who want to expand, and anybody interested should get in touch with the Enterprise Zone team as soon as possible.”
The development plots, ranging from 5,800sqm to 15,500sqm, will be accessible from the new road and will come with a dedicated electricity supply, utilities and high-speed fibre internet connectivity.
Outline planning consent for office, industrial and warehousing uses was granted in 2022.
The road construction, being carried out by George Cox and Sons, will also include widening of Common Edge Road to alleviate congestion along with a new access road into Oakwood Close.
The project has received financial support through a £7.5m grant from the UK Government as part of the Blackpool Town Deal awarded in 2022.
In addition, Blackpool Council’s Executive has approved the continued £54.17m funding for new roads and infrastructure across the entire Enterprise Zone.
Plans are also progressing for the relocation of airport infrastructure closer to the runway, as well as the development of a masterplan for Silicon Sands – a new data and technology campus.
Silicon Sands, located on a 40-acre site north of Blackpool Airport by Squires Gate Lane, will initially feature a series of carbon-friendly data centres powered by renewable energy.
The area will focus on embracing growth in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a technology campus for high-performance companies, contributing to the creation of high-growth jobs for the Fylde coast.
A new airport office and small passenger terminal are currently under construction, with released land set aside for a new 6MW, 36,000sqft data centre demonstrator as the first development at Silicon Sands.
Supported by a £2m grant from Lancashire Combined County Authority as part of the devolution deal, an outline planning application for the data centre is expected to be submitted this summer, with investors being sought to fund the development.
Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone is already one of the north west’s premier business destinations, home to over 200 businesses and approximately 4,000 employees.
The area offers excellent transport links, being directly accessible from the M55 motorway and close to Squires Gate train station and Starr Gate tram station. It also includes Blackpool Airport
The Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone covers 144 hectares across Blackpool and Fylde and is earmarked to create 5,000 new jobs by 2041.
For more information on the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, visit www.blackpoolez.com.