[Scarlett.]

BLACKPOOL Tower and Winter Gardens were today sold to the resort in a £40m deal.
The iconic buildings – together with a host of other Golden Mile attractions – are now in public ownership for the first time in their illustrious history.

A combination of local and central government cash has been used to buy the resort's tourism crown jewels from Sir Trevor Hemmings' Leisure Parcs group.

And The Gazette can exclusively reveal Merlin Entertainments Group – operators of such landmark attractions as the London Eye and Legoland – will take over running the Tower from the end of this year's Illuminations season.

The deal will also see £5.5m immediately spent on revamping areas of the aging Winter Gardens, primarily to bring in more conferences.

Council Leader Peter Callow described today's news as a "massive boost for Blackpool" while Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden said the landmark deal was a "major opportunity" to not only protect the resort's key assets but to see them prosper in the 21st century.

The deal – which totals £38.9m – was rubber stamped this morning by the Government's Department of Communities and Local Government.

It said this would:
- Facilitate the purchase of The Tower, Winter Gardens, Sea Life Centre, Louis Tussauds, the Indoor Golf Centre, Bonny Street Market and Mr T's Amusement Arcade.
- Fund a £10m programme of repairs for The Tower. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in time for the beginning of the 2011 tourism season.
- The Winter Gardens will undergo a first phase refurbishment of £5.5m to create a new mid-size, multi purpose conferencing venue. This first phase will focus on upgrading the Pavilion and Arena areas.
- World renowned operator Merlin will take over running The Tower, while Louis Tussauds will be transformed into a northern home for the bigger Madame Tussauds brand.

It is anticipated there will be 800,000 more visitors a year to The Tower following its revamp - which will include a new entrance - almost doubling the current visitor numbers and bringing an additional visitor spend to the resort of £36m per year.

The whole package should create an estimated 1,000 jobs, the Government said.

Blackpool gazette

[Smithy]

He's selling it because he's gone bust thats all :/

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

He's selling it because he's gone bust thats all :/

So? Now it's in public ownership, it can finally be done up a little more, plus Winter Gardens was rumoured to be knocked down, now it wont be

[Tom]

Blackpool is in a shocking state (no offence Chewy ) so I think this is just what they need!

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Tom

Blackpool is in a shocking state (no offence Chewy ) so I think this is just what they need!

When did you last come here? It's change a lot these past few years

St. Johns Square

(Cant find a better picture that works, but basically, it looks nice, it will also become traffic free)

Town centre


Not to mention the new prom :3

A lot of work to still be done, but it's looking a lot better than it used to

Also, the recession is long gone here, all previously empty shops are being rebought :3

[Scarlett.]

Also the building with the blue square things on the frontage near the tower has been bought and will be turned into a restaraunt and the Blackpool North train station will look like this in a few years (or very similar, as it has now got planning permission)

[arista]

They need to do a New Blackpool Murder
series.

[Tom]

2008 I was there last- looks good from them pics though but I mean it needs more actual attractions (the casino would have been good) because a lot of things on the sea front look tired and dated.

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Tom

2008 I was there last- looks good from them pics though but I mean it needs more actual attractions (the casino would have been good) because a lot of things on the sea front look tired and dated.

I agree there, the tower purchase along with the other possible purchases will be very good for the town, especially Louis Tussards becoming more like Madame Tussards

[Tom]

I think Blackpool should have a dungeon as well- the York and London ones are really good

[Scarlett.]

Yeah, a good idea would be for the Plasure Beach to be extended

[sooty]

Originally Posted by Chewy

Winter Gardens was rumoured to be knocked down, now it wont be

Thank goodness for that!

[Princess]

Ta-da

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by Tom

I think Blackpool should have a dungeon as well- the York and London ones are really good

Update: Apparent one is going to be built!

"Blackpool will be "the most exciting resort in Europe" after its upcoming revamp, the regional minister for the North West has said.

Phil Woolas was speaking after the local council completed a deal to buy some of the resort's main attractions, including the Tower, in a £38.9m deal.

England's second Madame Tussauds and a dungeon attraction like the famous one in London will also be opened.

Merlin Entertainments has been appointed to manage the attractions.

Blackpool Council on Tuesday announced its completion of the purchase of the Tower, Winter Gardens, the Golden Mile Centre and Louis Tussauds buildings.

"There really is an economic revolution in Blackpool"
Phil Woolas, regional minister

It was made possible following bids for European and government funding, as well as £10m from the authority's own budget.

"It is going to create the most exciting resort, in my view, in Europe," said Mr Woolas.

"There really is an economic revolution in Blackpool.

"This is the most popular tourist destination in the UK anyway but we are going to double the number of visitors."

Merlin Entertainments - which runs the London Eye, Alton Towers and Legoland - already operates a Sea Life centre in the town.

'Premier league'

Blackpool Tower, which opened in May 1894, will be restored with £10m of the funding.

The current observation platform will be replaced with a 4D cinema show as part of its revamp.

A new conference centre will be built near the Winter Gardens, which hosted the Royal Variety Performance last year.

The authority hopes the investment plans will bring in an extra 800,000 visitors a year.

More than 1,000 jobs will be created by the venture, which it is hoped will be completed by summer 2011, the council said.

Merlin Entertainments' chief executive Nick Varney said: "From 2011 no other UK centre other than London will be able to offer visitors such a unique and broad selection of international attraction brands.

"In our view this will help take what is already one of the best loved and iconic seaside destinations in Europe into the premier league."

The investment comes from the Northwest European Regional Development Fund, the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Blackpool Council and the Homes and Communities Agency. "

BBC News

Originally Posted by Princess

Ta-da

[Patrick]

It looks a mess.

[Scarlett.]

Here's the new "Blackpool Eye"


The entrance to the upcoming Blackpool tower dungeon


Currently they're building a brand new entrance at the front, hard to believe what state it used to be in

[Ninastar]

-wants to go now-

[arista]

Here's the new "Blackpool Eye"


Spiffing

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Chewy

So? Now it's in public ownership, it can finally be done up a little more, plus Winter Gardens was rumoured to be knocked down, now it wont be

In Sheffield?

[Scarlett.]

No, the one in Blackpool, that should be obvious from the town the thread is about

The construction of the new entrance around the front (that grotty old bit at the front has been torn down)


Also all the brick work has totally been replaced

[Omah]

"Blackpool will be "the most exciting resort in Europe" after its upcoming revamp, the regional minister for the North West has said.

Rubbish - a few paltry millions won't make much difference to Blackpool - it'll just clean the frontages up, and line local businessmen and councillors pockets - Blackpool didn't get city status and it didn't get a casino and it's left it 30 years too late to be anything but "the most exciting resort in Lancashire" ....

In Which magazine's latest "Top 20 Visitor Attractions" ratings, Blackpool's Tower and Pleasure Beach came 19th and 20th .....

[Scarlett.]

Some pictures of the reopening