North West communities net £486m from Town Deals

A decision to approve appropriation powers for land off Central Drive will pave the way for the construction of a 1,300-space multistorey car park, the first stage of the 17-acre leisure development from Nikal and Media Invest Entertainment.

Blackpool Council’s executive has signed off plans for 131 social homes as part of its Grange Park Estate regeneration project.

Sector specialist Create Developments has started work adding 74 bedrooms to the Hampton by Hilton on South Shore.

Two projects that could have delivered a combined 195 care home beds in the borough were refused by Wyre Council due to their “unacceptable impact on visual amenity”. 

Cheshire-based Ashall Projects has lodged an application to convert the grade two-listed Abingdon Street building into a 148-bedroom hotel.   

The owners of the grade one-listed Lancashire building are readying plans to convert it into a luxury resort featuring a private members club, hotel, spa and art centre.

Having initially backed the proposals, the council has now asked the developer behind the town centre apartment scheme to justify its failure to meet one of the authority’s housing policies. 

Conversion of the old post office on Abingdon Street into a boutique hotel and an upgrade of the town centre road network are among schemes the council has put forward for a £20m share of the £4.8bn Government fund. 

A revised application for a block of 19 apartments on the site of the former Pizza Express restaurant next to the Winter Gardens is earmarked for council approval.