Demolition makes Swift work of the Hound

Two years after Blackpool Council threw out plans for a bingo hall to be built on the flattened remains of a pub in the centre of Blackpool, work is now underway to make those proposals a reality.
Demolition at the Swift HoundDemolition at the Swift Hound
Demolition at the Swift Hound

Demolition work is underway at the Swift Hound, near the Odeon cinema.

In March 2018, the council refused a planning application from Valad Europe, a real estate investment manager, for the demolition of the pub and for a bingo hall and a drive-thru restaurant to be built in its place, citing insufficient parking provision, noise, and the ‘over-bearing’ impact the single-storey development would have on nearby residents.

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However, the decision was appealed, and later overturned by the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

The Swift HoundThe Swift Hound
The Swift Hound

Inspector Mike Worden said: “The existing car park provision is more than sufficient to meet the existing use needs, and no complaints about insufficient provision and its impact on the neighbourhood have been drawn to my attention.

“I have no evidence before me to indicate that the proposed access on to Princess Street would be unsafe or lead to highway safety problems.”

He accepted that there would be noise caused by the bingo hall, but said there was ‘no evidence’ that this would be more than that which occurs at present.

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He also said that the building ‘would not be harmful to the character and appearance of the area’.

A total of 65 people and departments were consulted about the development. Four objections to the plans were submitted to the Blackpool Council website.