Blackpool Illuminations to shine brighter

FIVE locations are sharing £4m in the latest round of grants from the government’s Coastal Communities Fund.

The cash will be used in Blackpool, Morecambe Bay, South Ribble, Furness and Copeland on projects to transform the coastline, boost visitor numbers and benefit their economies.
 
Blackpool Council has been awarded the largest amount regionally, £2m, to deliver a radical transformation of the iconic Blackpool Illuminations, creating a compelling new visitor experience.  The project will create 11 direct and 532 indirect jobs over the next five years.
 
Cllr Graham Cain, cabinet member for tourism and leisure at Blackpool Ciuncil, said: “Blackpool’s Illuminations are a national institution, loved by families over generations, and now they will be well and truly brought into the 21st century.

“Millions of visits are made to the Lights every year but we are often told people want to see something new and different, this is it.  LightPool will bring exciting new light shows, events and features into the town centre, including digital mapping projections onto the iconic Blackpool Tower.”
 
Morecambe Bay Partnership has been awarded £297,542 to improve visitor facilities and create a new cycling infrastructure, in a project that will create over 10 jobs.
 
South Ribble Borough Council has been awarded £131,700 to regenerate an under used stretch of the Ribble coastline near Preston, with a focus on improved parking, a new village market and organising more events.  This will create 35 jobs.
 
Furness Enterprise meanwhile has been awarded £864,892 to provide business support and training to improve the capability of supply chains of local companies, allowing them to take advantage of future business opportunities.  

And Copeland Borough Council will receive £900,993 to improve the local cultural offer and benefit tourism by developing the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, Cumbria to include a conference and learning centre.

Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: ““I created the Coastal Communities Fund because, as someone who grew up on a small island, I know how much difference targeted investment can make to people’s lives.  Overall, hundreds of communities across the UK will benefit, creating jobs and making sure that some of our most remote and fragile communities share in the economic recovery.”