Archive for the ‘Blackpool’ Category

Blackpool International Airport has been sold to Balfour Beatty. The international construction and investment group has purchased 95% of the regional airport from Mar Properties, a Northern-Ireland based property developer.

The sale is subject to the approval of Blackpool Borough Council, a minority shareholder. The council support the deal and are expected to give the go ahead later this week.

Balfour Beatty Chief Executive, Ian Tyler, said ‘Blackpool International is a well-located airport with the potential to become a thriving international gateway to Lancashire and Cumbria. We will work together with the airlines and our local partners to help increase its penetration within this core catchment area and to play its part in attracting inbound visitors to the region. We believe that our approach will deliver significant, sustained growth in passenger traffic at the airport and will generate important economic benefits for it and for Blackpool. Our aim is to develop Blackpool to be the airport of choice for residents, businesses and visitors of Lancashire and Cumbria.’

The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence were held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool last night, the first time they taken place outside London. Winners from the North West were:

Gold Awards:

Tourism Website of the Year – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Tourism Information Centre of the Year – Liverpool 08 Place

Silver Awards:

Large Hotel of the Year – Radisson Edwardian Manchester
Meet England Business Tourism Award – Manchester Central
Caravan Holiday Park of the Year – Sunset Park, near Blackpool
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year – Tullie House Museum, Carlisle

North West picnic lovers can vote for their favourite picnic spot in a competition being organised by Bolton-based bakers Warburtons. Ten sites in the region have been nominated:

Stanley Park – Blackpool
Lyme Park – Disley, Cheshire
Heaton Park – Manchester
Formby Beach – Merseyside
Beeston Castle – Tarporley, Cheshire
Barley Picnic Site – Pendle Hill, Ribble Valley
Jumbles Reservoir – Bradshaw Valley, Bolton
Beacon Fell – Goosnargh, near Preston
Fell Foot Park – Windermere, Lake District
Crook o’ Lune – Lune Valley, Lancaster

Votes can be registered at www.welovebread.co.uk until May 16 2008. All voters are entered into a draw to win a picnic in Central Park, New York.

The winner will be announced at the start of June and will go compete against the other regional winners for the title of ‘Warburtons Best Picnic Spot 2008’.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has announced that the Riverdance ferry, currently lying on Blackpool beach after running aground at the end of January, is to be dismantled. It’s estimated the work will take approximately 3 months once the contract has been awarded.

Blackpool’s Tourist Information Centre on Clifton Street has closed. Visitors are now requested to use the centre on the Promenade, opposite Blackpool Tower.

The shortlist for the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2008 includes more businesses from North West England than any other region. The entrants are:

Boltongate Old Rectory – Ireby, near Carlisle – Bed & Breakfast of the Year
Hillbark Hotel – Wirral – Small Hotel of the Year
Liverpool 08 Place – Liverpool - Tourist Information Centre of the Year
Manchester Central – Manchester – Business Tourism Award
Radisson Edwardian – Manchester – Large Hotel of the Year
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic – Liverpool – Tourism Website of the Year
Stone Cottage – Penrith – Self-Catering Holiday of the Year
Sunset Park Holiday Homes - Hambleton, near Blackpool – Caravan Park of the Year
Tullie House – Carlisle – Large Visitor Attraction of the Year

The awards will be held at St George’s Hall in Liverpool on April 23 2008, the first time they have been held outside London.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach was Britain’s most popular tourist attraction in 2007, despite visitor figures falling slightly from 2006. According to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions the popular theme park attracted 5.5 million visitors, down 3 percent on the previous year. Other popular attractions in the North West included Chester Zoo (1.36 million), World Museum Liverpool (720,303), Tate Liverpool (649,029), Merseyside Maritime Museum (595,328), Blackpool Tower (466,545), Walker Art Gallery (253,987), Imperial War Museum North (223,000), Lady Lever Art Gallery (187,255), and the Anderton Boat Lift (114,853).

Staff at Sea Life in Blackpool claim they have discovered the world’s first ‘hexapus’. The six-legged ‘octopus’ was found in a lobster pot off the coast of North Wales two weeks ago. Its deficiency is thought to be due to a genetic defect.

The chairman of Blackpool’s regeneration company is leaving his post to lead a bid for European funds to build an extension of Blackpool’s tram system to Preston. Professor Sir Peter Hall of ReBlackpool said, ‘After nearly four years in the chair at ReBlackpool, helping to develop the casino bid and then the post-casino regeneration strategy to rebuild the town’s economy, published in our Blackpool Task Force report to government last summer, I think it is time to move on. As ReBlackpool shifts from strategic thinking to delivery my successor will lead on this delivery. Meanwhile, provided our bid is successful, and I am confident that, fully supported by NWDA and other partners, it is more than good enough – I will focus on delivering the next stage of development of the Blackpool Tramway as part of the regeneration of the town.’

The proposed system will utilise a new type of tram developed in Germany that uses a hybrid power system capable of switching from electric to diesel power to run on non-electrified tracks.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is to introduce admission charges from 2009 for the first time in its history. Visitors will have to pay £5 for a Freedom Pass to enter the theme park, or purchase an Unlimited Ride Wristband. The Freedom Pass will allow access to 5 of the less popular rides.

The introduction of admission charges at the company’s theme park in Southport were regarded by many as a significant factor in its subsequent closure.