Hospitals, schools and transport: Another wave of investment for Blackpool South

As MP for Blackpool South, it’s my mission to fight for the resources our community needs after years of being left behind. Less than a year since Labour came into power, I’m proud to say we are already delivering real change on the ground.

I recently outlined the £65m this government has already committed to Blackpool. Now, millions more in new investment has been confirmed for our schools, hospitals and town centre infrastructure – funding that will directly improve the lives of people across Blackpool South.

After years of chronic underfunding and crumbling buildings, the previous government left Blackpool Victoria Hospital in urgent need of repair. Too many patients were facing cancelled appointments and stretched services in a hospital that in places is literally falling apart.

With Blackpool Teaching Hospitals chief exec, Maggie Oldham

Thanks to Labour’s Plan for Change, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is receiving £1.43 million to make urgent repairs to electrical systems, roofs, lifts, and other critical infrastructure. This isn’t just about bricks and mortar – it’s about ensuring patients receive care in safe, modern facilities and staff have the environment they need to do their jobs.

Two Blackpool schools are also finally getting the attention they deserve. After more than a decade of neglect, Labour is stepping in to make things right.

Roseacre Primary Academy and Thames Primary Academy will benefit from a share of the £470 million Condition Improvement Fund, tackling issues like leaking roofs and dangerous asbestos. This means safer, warmer classrooms for our children and a school environment that supports their learning and wellbeing. These investments are part of a record-breaking £2.1 billion national package, because every child deserves the best possible start in life.

We’re also unlocking new potential for Blackpool’s town centre, with more than £5.3 million confirmed to improve local transport infrastructure as part of the £15.4 million Levelling Up Fund already committed to the area. This means better active travel routes, safer access to public transport and support for the town centre’s regeneration. These are changes that will improve daily life for residents, support local businesses and help attract more visitors to our town.

This is what change looks like. And it’s only the beginning.

These announcements come on top of the tens of millions of pounds already invested in Blackpool South since I was elected – funding for new affordable homes, job creation, skills and training programmes and major regeneration projects across the town.

For too long, Blackpool has been overlooked and treated as an afterthought. But this Labour Government sees Blackpool not as a problem to be managed, but as a place full of potential. Whether it’s upgrading our public services or breathing new life into our local economy, we are putting Blackpool South at the heart of the national recovery. Because if Blackpool succeeds, this government succeeds.

There is still much more to do but we are no longer being ignored. We have a Government that’s listening and delivering. With this government behind us, we have laid the foundations to build a better Blackpool.