And he revealed Blackpool will be one of 55 education investment areas under the levelling up programme.
However, the Pride of Place Partnership is calling on the government to do much more to further its mission to level up Blackpool’s economy by £1bn.
Just before the White Paper came out, it released the latest edition of its Blackpool Town Prospectus, aimed at responding to the current and future needs of the community by building on the national agenda.
It describes the prospectus, ‘An Agenda for Action 2030’, as a long-term strategic vision for Blackpool, positioning the area as a “creative, digital, and educational hub” for the North West and beyond.
The partnership, founded in 2017 by Business in the Community, Prince Charles’ Responsible Business Network, brings together private, public, and voluntary sectors. It launched its first prospectus in 2018.
Now it is looking to secure “a long-term strategic partnership” with central government to deliver improved housing, health, education, skills and employment, and digital outcomes, and to ensure “effective and efficient levelling up” for the town and its people.
Christine Hodgson, who chairs the partnership, says the resort has a strong record of delivery. She says: “Thousands of new jobs have already been created, there have been vast improvements in outcomes for young people and the council has made great progress on improving some of the worst housing stock in the town.”
Its key asks now include £100m investment in capital funding to intervene at scale in the “failed housing market” in inner Blackpool
which would involve selective clearance, remodelling of existing properties and the creation of green spaces.
It is also calling on the government to capitalise on the international fibre connection that comes ashore in Blackpool, to deliver a “Silicon Sands” vision of a booming digital sector and to diversify the economy to maximise those opportunities.
In education and skills, the group wants to see a successor programme for the Blackpool Opportunity Area until 2030 to maintain improvements in educational performance and inclusion.
It says that needs to be supplemented with targeted support for those who are hardest to reach in the community, “making sure there is a place for everyone in the workforce”.
The collaboration, shared vision and immense sense of civic pride has helped transform Blackpool
Support is also needed to develop a “Multiversity” in the town that will inspire all young people and act as the hub to develop a truly inclusive Blackpool workforce.
When it comes to health, it says government support is also needed to ensure initiatives and partnership work to tackle the underlying causes of inequality are successful.
The ‘asks’ include an extension of the enterprise zone business rate relief and enhanced capital allowances until 2025 and investment in reopening the five-mile Poulton to Fleetwood rail link, along with the creation of a passing loop on the South Fylde line to double rail frequency for commuters and students.
Baroness Jo Valentine, director of place at Business in the Community, says: “The collaboration, shared vision and immense sense of civic pride has helped transform Blackpool as an area with opportunities, investment and growth.
“The government doesn’t need to look any further to define what levelling up looks like, we have been doing it in Blackpool for years.
“The new and updated prospectus takes our work to the next level, and our key asks of government are crucial to ensuring that we finish the job.”
Andy Charles, Pride of Place lead, Business in the Community, says working closely with Westminster and Whitehall is also crucial to delivering the group’s vision.
To that end he would like to see strong relationships developed with senior civil servants and even a government minister sitting on the partnership board.
He says: “We have a vision, but we can’t do it alone and in isolation. Partnership with government is crucial and we need them to take notice of that.
“My message is: let us be the national blueprint for levelling up, to show the rest of the country how it is done.”
*
* A progressive creative agency working with our partners to affect genuine change using insight & vision
www.redmoorcreative.co.uk
MARKETING / DESIGN / MOTION GRAPHICS / DIGITAL
LANCASHIREBUSINESSVIEW.CO.UK
69
BLACKPOOL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
