Renovation work begins at Stanley Park’s vandalised former pavilion

Construction work has begun to transform the original tea room and tennis pavilion at Blackpool’s award-winning Stanley Park into a shiny new refreshment facility and changing rooms for local youth clubs.
By Wes Holmes
Published 8th Mar 2022, 12:30 BST
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The refurbishment, carried out by Blackpool Council’s environmental services company Enveco, is part of a £220,000 masterplan to upgrade the park, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026. Other projects on the horizon include an upgrade to the skate park and the installation of lighting on some pathways.

READ: Masterplan to rejuvenate Blackpool's Stanley Park

The pavilion, which has stood empty since 2017, has been targeted by vandals over the years. It was last used by the park’s BMX bike club as a changing facility.

The old tea room and pavilion at Stanley ParkThe old tea room and pavilion at Stanley Park
The old tea room and pavilion at Stanley Park
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Nigel Patterson, chairman of the Friends of Stanley Park, said: “Any refurbishment that brings older buildings back to life is a welcome refurbishment, and it’s good to see that money is being invested in the park.

"I have been in the friends group for six years, and the pavilion was probably last used four or five years ago by the BMX club. They refurbished the facilities in terms of the toilets and changing rooms, but then the building was vandalised. It was vandalised pretty badly, so it could no longer be used.

"In terms of the general plan, this is only the beginning. I have no idea when it will be finished, but when it is finished it will be great to see and hopefully it will serve a useful purpose to the community.”

Blackpool Council announced last month its aim to produce a draft to ‘identify areas requiring significant refurbishment and areas that present opportunities to invest to increase footfall and potentially attract new target markets to the park’ by August.

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Nigel said: "Any investment for the park is good news, and Blackpool Council has even bigger plans than what they are working on at the moment. The park is 96 years old, and what was created years ago sometimes needs recreating and renovating, as is the case here. Hopefully we will soon play our own part in supporting the council with what’s going on.”

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Related topics:BlackpoolBlackpool CouncilStanley Park