Almost £1m to protect Blackpool heritage
Almost £1 million of government funding has been announced to protect two of Blackpool’s historic buildings. £850,000 will start the restoration of the former Post Office on Abingdon Street, and £145,866 will go to the Church of the Sacred Heart for repairs. Both are part of a £41 million programme from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Historic England to protect 74 heritage and faith buildings across England.
The Post Office is a Grade II listed landmark built in 1910. It closed as a counter service in 2007, and for years it has stood as a reminder of how much of Blackpool’s heritage has been left to decline.
That’s changing. Blackpool Council bought the building last September and the £850,000 from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund will pay for the first phase of a wider programme of restoration with urgent stabilisation, repair and weatherproofing, roof and stonework repairs. That secures the building and allows plans to progress for its future as a community-led cultural and creative hub – a base for events, creative activity and community engagement in the centre of town.
I’ve been backing the council’s efforts since I was elected, making the case to government for funding to restore it, so I’m pleased to see the money arrive. There’s still a long way to go, but this is the vital first step.
I’m also pleased that the Church of the Sacred Heart has been supported through the Places of Worship Renewal Fund, which backs repairs to historic places of worship in the areas of greatest need. Back in June, I encouraged Blackpool’s faith groups and places of worship to apply. Churches and faith buildings bring our communities together, and keeping them open and in good repair matters to a lot of people.
Our town’s motto is Progress, and this is what it looks like. Heritage in Blackpool has never meant standing still. Giving a historic building a future as a space for culture and creativity is something local people can be proud of.
Blackpool’s heritage isn’t a souvenir, it’s the foundation for what comes next. That’s why this news matters beyond the buildings themselves. As we bid to be UK City of Culture 2029, this funding lays important foundations. It shows a town that looks after its past and has real plans for its future, backed by a government that is investing in places like ours.
For too long, Blackpool has been talked down. It’s time to change the narrative of our town and show Blackpool in a new light.
