Giant seesaws part of £2m installations on Blackpool prom
Urban regeneration company, ReBlackpool, has submitted a planning application to build £2m of public art on the seafront including giant seesaws and 30m-tall 'blades of grass'.
The Parade 5 project is aimed at linking the Tower Festival Headland with the wider area. The five blades would sway in the wind and be illuminated at night. The 12m-long seesaws are designed to be capable of holding an entire family and, ReBlackpool said, "will be installed to instil a sense of fun and make the area a destination in its own right".
Doug Garrett, chief executive of ReBlackpool, added: "A revitalised seafront is absolutely key to the regeneration of the town as a whole and Parade 5 will provide an innovative, usable and fun destination for both visitors and residents to enjoy themselves right by the beach.
"Parade 5 will provide a year-round attraction on the seafront where people can have fun, interact with the installations and take some healthy exercise."
Other improvements to the promenade in the Parade 5 area will include giant pebble seats, bespoke lighting bollards, bike racks, litter bins and signs and specialised planting to add colour and life. A concrete footbridge which spans the main road outside Coral Island would be removed.
Work could begin on the site this summer and be completed by the early part of 2010.
