Blackpool prevails in rollercoaster appeal

The local council has had its decision to reject plans for a log flume and 77-metre tall fairground ride upheld by the Planning Inspectorate.

Blackpool Council had refused to give Blackpool Pier Company planning permission or a lawful development certificate for the two rides last year due to their scale.

At 77 metres, the Skyflyer would be 12 metres taller than the Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

“As such, the Starflyer ride would alter, blur and disrupt that definition of the resort boundary,” according to planning inspector Paul Freer.

Freer added that the scheme would “unacceptably harm the character and appearance of the area” and impinge on people’s ability to “appreciate the engineering structure of the pier when viewed from the east”.

The applicant had wanted to install the log flume and Skyflyer on the Promenade close to South Pier, which it owns. The firm said income from the rides would be reinvested into the pier, and Central Pier, which are in need of repairs.

Blackpool Pier Company said the council’s decision to reject the plans was inconsistent given that the authority has since granted permission for its own scheme – the installation of an Upside Down House attraction – nearby.

Freer agreed, saying: “I take the appellant’s point insofar as there does also appear to be an element of inconsistency of approach here in terms of individual factors. However, there is consistency in terms of the broad approach to the overall balance.”

To learn more about the project and to read the decision notice in full, search for reference numbers 25/0790 and 25/0269 on Blackpool Council’s planning portal.