Blackpool set to benefit from £18m playground investment

Blackpool is set to benefit from a share of an £18 million Playgrounds Fund to restore and build children’s pay areas in the communities that need them most.

The start of Spring has Brought families in Blackpool out to make the most of our playgrounds, but for years under the Tories we’ve seen them sadly neglected. Over 400 playgrounds across the country closed under the previous government as local authorities saw their budgets cut to the bone.

Parks that should be full of families have equipment that’s worn out or unsafe. In some places, facilities have disappeared altogether. Between 2011 and 2023, park budgets across England fell by more than £350 million. Spending on play facilities dropped by 44% in just a few years. Today, more than two million children do not live within a ten minute walk of a playground.

The destruction of this vital spaces hit towns like Blackpool hardest. Areas with higher child poverty were hit hardest and leaving many children without access to safe, decent places to play. Access to play is part of a healthy childhood. It supports physical health, confidence and social skills and it gives families shared spaces they can rely on.

This funding will go to 66 areas with the highest levels of need, based on child poverty and access to play. Blackpool is one of those areas which means the money won’t be spread thinly or handed out through a bidding process – it will be targeted where it will make the most difference.

Blackpool Council will receive around £270,000 and be expected to fund up to three playground projects. They are also being encouraged to find match funding. Some sites will be refurbished while others will see new equipment installed. The focus is on safe, high-quality spaces that are built to last and are accessible to all children, including those with disabilities.

There is also funding for the work that makes these projects viable such as site surveys, safety checks, early design work and community engagement are all part of the plan allowing councils to deliver these play parks thoughtfully and properly.

The council is expected to work with residents and children to decide which sites are prioritised and what improvements are made. That’s the right approach – no one knows better what these spaces need than the people who regularly use them.

The Playground Fund will be delivered over two years, which means the focus is on getting visible improvements delivered in a reasonable timeframe. The council will need to think about maintenance and durability, so new and improved playgrounds don’t fall back into disrepair.

Access to decent play equipment is part of Labour’s commitment to improving life chances for children. That includes action on child poverty, expanding free school meals and investing in support for children with additional needs.

For Blackpool, this is a chance to fix something practical that affects families day to day. It will not solve every problem, but it will make a clear difference in the neighbourhoods that need it most.

I want local people involved as this moves forward and will be sharing details of the council’s engagement plans when they are announced.

This is what is means to build a better Blackpool.