Plans to reopen South Promenade go-karting track are thrown out by Blackpool Council

The Karting 2000 Raceway, located near South Pier and the Sandcastle Waterpark, was previously given permission to operate for five years in 2015, but closed down in 2020 once the agreement ran its course.

A new application submitted to make the track a permanent attraction has now been thrown out, as changes to local flood maps mean the land now lies within a flood-risk zone.

Blackpool Civic Trust also objected to the proposal, which they argued was contrary to planning guidelines, as there is supposed to be no development west of the tram tracks.

The council’s heritage committee also objected. They said: "The site is next to the locally listed South Pier... The track and buildings affect the setting of the pier. There are also a number of other small structures to the north and south of the pier, such as ice cream kiosks and the larger Theatre D’Amour. Together they have a detrimental impact on its setting by blocking views of the sea and seashore to the north and south of the pier, to the extent that it can only be appreciated in glimpses between the various structures.

"If the original use was temporary this would be an ideal opportunity to reverse some of the harm to the setting by opening up views to the sea in this location."

A statement submitted on behalf of the Pleasure Beach, meanwhile, said approval of the application would set an 'unacceptable precedent for development on the Prom which should remain free from development beyond that which already lawfully exists'.

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