Ground broken for major Blackpool mixed-use scheme

A ground-breaking ceremony has been held in Blackpool for the redevelopment of the Houndshill Shopping Centre, which is close to the town’s famous tower and seafront.

Graham Construction has been appointed as main contractor for the project that includes new commercial space, retail units and a nine-screen cinema complex.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council said: “We are committed to diversifying and modernising the town centre to encourage residents and visitors to choose Blackpool as their main shopping centre of choice.

“This means celebrating our well-known heritage buildings, driving footfall to new areas of the town and encouraging people to stay for longer. The Houndshill Phase 2 extension will deliver a new range of high-quality entertainment, retail and leisure choices that meet the needs of the modern family, which will complement the existing shops at the Houndshill, boost both day and night time business, and increase the amount of time and money spent in the town centre.”

The overall scheme has been facilitated by £5M of funding from the Government’s COVID-19 Getting Building Fund, following formal approval by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in October last year. Blackpool Council will fund the balance of the scheme through prudential borrowing.