Residents tell me they are angry and scared about council plans to demolish their Blackpool homes

Blackpool Council says areas of the town urgently need need better housing and the authority plans to transform a large area of the Revoe ward, off Central Drive.

The council plans to use a £90m grant previously awarded by Michael Gove, the former levelling up secretary in Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, as part of the Homes England agenda.

But critics say the scheme will see up to 400 homes being demolished and replaced with just 230 new properties.

And it is argued that in many cases, people want to stay in their homes and are fearful where they will go once they are demolished.

The council intends to submit a compulsory purchase order and demolition application in the spring, followed by an application for new-build homes.

What critics say

The Rev Matthew Lockwood, the leader of Beacon church on Reads Avenue, says that while the area does desperately need regeneration, many residents feel that knocking down homes is not the answer.

He said: “The level of consultation over this has not been good at all and a lot of the people affected are angry and scared.

“I think a much better idea would have been to use the money to actually improve the homes that are there, rather than undertake a mass demolition exercise.

“Of course some of these homes are not in a good state and demolition would probably not be a bad thing. But many of them aren’t – they are solid, warm and well-made homes where some people have lived for decades.

“Many people feel under pressure and that they are being evicted from their homes against their will.

“This area may be deprived financially but it makes up for it in community spirit. Under this scheme, all that will be pulled apart. We are talking about older people who have been in the area for more than 40 years, and families with young children.

“We had a previous meeting about this and residents made it clear how they felt about it.”

He said residents were being offered compensation but many residents said the offer was not enough to make up for the loss of their homes.

Blackpool Council has arranged a number of drop-in events which are taking place across the Revoe area this month.

But there is also a public meeting where residents can discuss the issue.

This is due to take place at the Ibbison Court Community Centre, on Ibbison Court off Central Drive, on Thursday January 29 at 7.30pm.

What areas are being affected?

The area for the first phase of development will include parts of:

• Ashton Road
• Central Drive
• Chadwick Street
• Erdington Road
• Grasmere Road
• Harrison Street
• Kent Road
• Montrose Avenue
• Princess Street
• Rigby Road
• Rydal Avenue
• Salthouse Avenue

What the council leader says

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “I can’t comprehend how any community leader can say regenerating one of the most deprived areas of the country is a bad thing.

“Everybody who lives in or visits Blackpool knows we need to invest and regenerate the area around Central Drive. Our residents and communities have been telling us that for decades.

“A huge amount of our challenges in Blackpool revolve around poor quality housing and the affect that has on people’s health, employment and life outcomes. That’s made worse by absent or poor quality landlords who provide people in Blackpool with some terrible standards of living in the private rented sector. This regeneration aims to break that cycle. We know that there are some people whose homes are well loved and looked after, but sadly that is not the experience for many.

“People in Blackpool deserve a better standard of living than some of the housing we’ve seen in the area so far.

“This regeneration is about vastly improving the quality of housing, but also the surrounding areas, building green areas and neighbourhoods that more people enjoy living in. We know that this approach works, as our similar projects at Queens Park, Grange Park and Foxhall Village over the last decade have led to better living standards, reduced crime and increased stability in communities. That has transformed lives for the people who live there now in quality social housing and we believe it can have the same positive effect here.

“It’s absolutely not lost on us that we are talking about people’s homes and we’re very conscious that for tenants and local residents this kind of change can be unsettling. We’ve put in place support for anybody who needs it to find a new home, so landlords and community leaders shouldn’t be telling tenants that they are at risk of homelessness. We have had community engagement teams on the ground for almost a year, and are holding dozens of drop in sessions to engage with the local community. As a result, many of the owner occupiers have come forward themselves and asked for an independent valuation.

“In this scale of regeneration there will always be some circumstances that require extra support. I completely understand that and where possible we want the housing that is built back to be of an even higher standard, without pricing local people out of the area.

“We hope that our community leaders, whatever they feel about the scheme and its merits, will work with our team to ensure no one feels unsupported, fearful or at risk. No matter what might be contributing to their worries, we will do everything we can to link them in to the right support”