Lack of parking at new Blackpool hotel branded 'foolish'

The construction of a new town centre hotel without car parking has come under fire.
An artists impression of the new Premier InnAn artists impression of the new Premier Inn
An artists impression of the new Premier Inn

The construction of a new town centre hotel without car parking has come under fire.

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Coun Tony Williams, leader of the Conservatives on Blackpool Councl, says guests at the 150-bedroom Premier Inn being built in Talbot Square in Blackpool will have to use ‘expensive’ council car parks.

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He said: “The nearest places being West Street, which is almost at capacity or Talbot Road old bus station.

“Either way it would be most expensive to park your car in any council car park if you intended to stay for two or three days.

“The other alternative would be the very few on-street parking opportunities that are not governed by limited time slots.

“This is a foolish decision to allow a town centre hotel without car parking.

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“I presume the hotel earmarked for the Wilkinson’s site will also have limited or possibly no car parking facilities and once again guests, even on a subsidised basis, would still have to pay a huge fee when parking their vehicles.”

But council deputy leader Coun Gillian Campbell said there was enough town centre parking.

In a written response to a question from Coun Williams at full council, she said; “The planning committee considered a number of options in respect of parking for the new Premier Inn on the former Yates’ s site.

“Underground parking was not viable and open ground level parking would not yield many spaces and would be aesthetically unacceptable.

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“The Highways (department) view was that the town centre had sufficient alternative parking provision to cater for both existing visitors and the additional hotel guests.

“The planning committee accepted the development without the requirement of additional parking spaces based on the above discussion and the fact that the previous development had no parking provision.”

Plans for the Holiday Inn, which were approved last year, also include a temporary 127-space surface car park.