Blackpool kicks off Revoe community sports scheme

The council has begun clearing part of the half-finished Foxhall Village site off Central Drive in preparation for its redevelopment into a sports village. 

Blackpool Council’s Revoe Community Sports Village project has been awarded £6.5m from the government’s Towns Fund. 

The scheme aims to redevelop a site within Hollinwood Homes’ Foxhall Village residential development. The 400-home project stalled when Hollinwood and parent company Marcus Worthington collapsed in 2019, with only half of the homes delivered. 

Blackpool Council took control of the site last year and unveiled plans to revamp the area. 

It is proposed that the site could be developed to provide a number of community accessible sports pitches, as well as supporting Blackpool Football Club’s ambitions for a new east stand at Bloomfield Road. 

The council has been working with Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool Football Club Community Sports Trust and the Football Foundation since taking control of the site to firm up long-term plans for the site. 

Cllr Mark Smith, cabinet member for business, enterprise and job creation, said: “This site has been an eyesore for far too long and I am delighted that work will be starting imminently to remove all the surplus material and spoil. 

“We have really exciting plans for the area that we hope to be able to share in the coming months once we have reached a formal agreement with the football club.” 

Enabling works are due to start on site early June and are expected to last 12 weeks. 

The site falls into the Southern Gateway element of the wider Revoe masterplan.  

Plans for the Southern Gateway include new commercial, retail and residential elements.  

In addition, the demolition of existing, poor-quality housing and light industrial sites could allow the football club to create a performance and conference building running the length of the east stand and fronting Central Drive, according to the masterplan.