Blackpool's Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy 2019 2029
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Blackpool’s Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy 2019 – 2029
Contents
1.0 Key Message p4
2.0 Vision and Overview p7
3.0 Setting the Scene p11
4.0 Goals p18
5.0 Objectives and Actions p32
6.0 Next Steps p38
7.0 Annex One: Evidence Base p41
8.0 Annex Two: References p44
page 3
1.0 Key Message
Introduction
Blackpool is looking forward to a period of sustained Blackpool faces unique challenges due to poor There is overwhelming evidence of how green and
transformation, with several major regeneration public health, the intensely urban nature of its built blue infrastructure is essential to quality of life, and
projects started and more are to come. Our housing form, poor quality housing stock, and high seasonal how it can be used as a setting for health-enhancing
areas, our town centre and our business areas will unemployment. activity.
be refreshed and rejuvenated with massive public
and private sector investment. Yet Blackpool has a lot to offer. It has enthusiastic, It is no secret that Blackpool’s Inner Area is short of
skilled and committed volunteers working in our greenery and attractive open spaces. That is why
We are also piloting innovative social initiatives to green spaces. Volunteering in the outdoors builds Revoe Park is so important to its local community
improve health, well-being, skills and employability. friendships and civic pride, for example at East who have welcomed the Better Start programme.
We are rebuilding Blackpool’s brand as “the number Pines Park in Anchorsholme, a group of parents
one family resort with a thriving economy that enlisted the help of their local councillor to obtain A shortage of green infrastructure compounds
supports a happy and healthy community who are funding which has rejuvenated the park as a thriving the public health deficit that affects too many of
proud of this unique town”. 1 local asset. There are many similar groups across our population. As we regenerate housing areas
Blackpool. Some completely run by volunteers, and restructure the town centre, we will take
This is a ten year strategy to invest in Blackpool’s others facilitated by the public or voluntary sector. opportunities to create pocket parks, plant civic
Green and Blue Infrastructure. We will enhance trees and improve greenways so people enjoy
our existing parks and open spaces and deliver new In 2017, Blackpool’s Stanley Park was named as the spending time outdoors. The promenade and beach
high quality green spaces and public realm. We will best park in the UK by Fields in Trust, a national are also hugely important assets and we will look to
see many more residents and visitors experiencing charity which protects open spaces and encourages expand the use of them through enhancements and
Blackpool’s great outdoor spaces. communities to actively care for them. This is a organised activities and events.
tribute to the managers and friends of Stanley Park
What is Green and Blue Infrastructure? 2 who have invested their time and creativity to make Blackpool’s wildlife and countryside fringe is
Stanley Park a place valued locally, regionally and also prioritised in this Strategy. Marton Mere is
nationally. Blackpool’s only Site of Special Scientific Interest
A network of multifunctional green space, (SSSI) and Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and acts as a
urban and rural, which delivers a wide range We are also proud of our coastline with all our centre for an ecological network connecting coast,
of environmental and quality of life benefits beaches having reagional Seaside Awards. countryside and urban areas.
for local communities. Green and blue
infrastructure is not simply an alternative Our Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy builds Greening the town centre, principal road and rail
description for conventional open space. on these successes. We want the town to be known corridors and our enterprise zones, using a range
As a network it includes parks, open spaces, nationally for the quality and attractiveness of its of horticultural and artistic techniques, will also
playing fields, woodlands, but also street premier open spaces. give confidence to incoming residents, visitors and
trees, allotments and private gardens. investors that Blackpool is a town which is serious
It can also include streams, the sea and other Only a few weeks before Stanley Park received its about its overall vision.
water bodies and features such as green award, another of our parks, Revoe Park, featured
roofs and walls. In Blackpool it also includes on primetime national TV news, because urban
our coastline. park rangers working in our Better Start programme Councillor Graham Cain
teach parents how to encourage their infants to play Cabinet Secretary (Resilient Communities)
creatively.
The Strategy will be delivered by Blackpool Council
in partnership with its own staff, the community, The rangers also help with skills and self-esteem
developers, landowners, schools, healthcare amongst people who are looking to rebuild their
providers and infrastructure managers. lives and work prospects after setbacks.
page 4 page 5
2.0 Vision and Overview
How to Build Blackpool’s Green & Blue Infrastructure Our Vision - Blackpool in 2029 Goals and Priorities
1 Transform housing quality 8 Always Think for the Future Blackpool will be experiencing sustained Our six strategic goals and implementation priorities
New and improved parks and creative greening We will ensure Green and Blue Infrastructure transformation and its parks, green spaces, coastline for Blackpool’s GBI are described in Chapter 4:
initiatives in the Inner Area, South Shore and the forms part of all our decision-making and and public realm will be locally and nationally Engaging People in Health and Wellbeing
outer estates will make our housing better for family supports the future proofing of the town. renowned. Many more people will be enjoying
life. the health and wellbeing benefits of time spent in Enhancing the Visitor Experience
Blackpool’s “great outdoors”. Greener Housing and Infrastructure
The remit of the Strategy is not to safeguard every
2 More than double tree canopy Enabling Productive Businesses and Workers
last bit of existing green space in Blackpool, it is to The natural environment will thrive and support
Blackpool has the fewest trees of any English town Promoting a Green Image and Culture
secure the highest possible quality of spaces. Where Blackpool’s physical regeneration, encouraging
– we will create a legacy for future generations, Improving Habitats and Benefitting Pollinators.
a proposed development would result in a green economic development and attracting new
starting with maintaining our current trees and
space being reduced in size, the Council will ensure investors, residents and visitors to Blackpool, Wyre
planting 10,000 trees in the next ten years to more Objectives
that the remaining green space is a higher quality so and Fylde.
than double our tree canopy from 4% to 10%.
that the benefits it provides are more far-reaching
than the existing green space. Blackpool’s GBI Strategy has the following
3 A greener centre Blackpool’s housing areas will be greener and
objectives, which align with Core Strategy Policy
As the town centre and resort core are regenerated, their open spaces will be safe and well-used. The
This Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy and its CS6:
we will create new pocket parks and an iconic public town will be an exemplar of how coastal resorts
accompanying Action Plan have been developed can turn their fortunes around through social and
realm. Protect and Enhance GBI i.e. protecting the best
following comprehensive consultation and review environmental regeneration.
of evidence. We will use the Strategy to guide our and enhancing the rest
4 The best in the West actions, large and small, to build a town nationally
Blackpool’s Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) Create and Restore GBI i.e. greening the grey
We will celebrate Stanley Park as the best park in known for the quality of its open spaces.
Strategy will protect and enhance the borough’s and creating new GBI in areas where it is most
the UK so it becomes a must-see for any visitor; and
urban, coastal and rural environments to ensure the needed
then encourage visitors to explore other parks in the
GBI is delivered through a few flagship schemes social, economic and environmental benefits derived Connect and Link GBI i.e. making the links,
town, Lytham St Annes and Fleetwood.
and 1001 neighbourhood activities from them are maximised. improving connectivity and accessibility of GBI
5 Take health seriously Promote GBI i.e. changing behaviour, promoting
We will help at least 5,000 more local people each the benefits of GBI and encouraging greater
We take heart from other northern places, such
week enjoy exercise at our parks and beaches, and uptake of outdoor activity and volunteering.
as Merseyside and Manchester, where sustained
we will encourage Forest Schools, Green Gyms and environmental regeneration, alongside economic
nature-based prescriptions. investment and social change has created parks, These objectives and a series of headline actions
cycleways, public realm and places where people are explained at Chapter 5, along with strategic
6 Make it easy to get outdoors and businesses thrive. Fears about investment in diagrams and illustrations.
We will establish the “Blackpool Activity Trail”, landscape being wasted due to vandalism, neglect
signpost our green spaces better and remind the and plant failure are valid but we will study technical Stanley Park
world that we are a start point for national, coastal evidence to ensure high standards of planting
and Trans Pennine walking and cycling tours. and aftercare are considered from the outset.
Investment in GBI is not a “nice to have”, we owe
7 Keep it down to earth it to our townspeople and their children to create
Blackpool has a great backbone of volunteers and a healthy and accessible environment on their
can always call on help from businesses, “Blackpool- doorstep.
exiles” and loyal holiday-makers with an affinity
for the town. Local park friends, tree wardens, As a long-term project, this Strategy is the start
volunteer rangers and councillors are key to of a journey of transformation – success can
delivering and maintaining GBI. only be achieved with the continued support
and involvement of local residents, landowners,
developers and a wide range of partners.
page 6 page 7
2.0 Vision and Overview
Policy The Need for a GBI Strategy Evidence Base
The Blackpool Council Plan 2015-20201 has two GBI is multifunctional and consists of many types of This Strategy for Blackpool’s Green and Blue
priorities: open space, with multiple benefits. This means that Infrastructure (GBI) and the associated Action Plan
responsibility for creating, managing, promoting have been drawn up following consultation and
The Economy: Maximising Growth and and funding GBI falls to numerous people and detailed review of evidence (in the associated Green
Opportunity across Blackpool. organisations, working in partnership. This strategy and Blue Infrastructure Technical Report4) about
Communities: Creating Stronger Communities is a leadership document, setting out a vision, goals, where investment in GBI will deliver the greatest
& Increasing Resilience. priorities, objectives and actions which will inspire social benefits, environmental improvements and
sustained action across the town. economic enhancements.
The town must reduce economic and health
This strategy covers the whole of Blackpool. As GBI The Blackpool Open Space Assessment5 was
inequalities. It is widely acknowledged that high
does not stop at the borough boundary, the strategy updated in 2018 and provides evidence on the
quality GBI promotes economic growth and
aims to connect with the GBI of the neighbouring quantity, quality and accessibility of GBI in the
investment and health and wellbeing.
authorities, Wyre and Fylde. borough.
Blackpool’s Local Plan Core Strategy 2012-2027
Chapter 3 provides an overview of the town’s
includes Green Infrastructure Policy (CS6) which
outdoor environment and key issues identified
requires planning and development activity to
during consultation and evidence-gathering. It sets
protect, enhance, create and connect networks
the scene for the GBI strategy. Annex One and Two
of GBI. Many other Core Strategy policies (e.g.
list the policy and best practice referenced in the
Housing Provision, Economic Development, Town
strategy and to key pieces of evidence available in
Centre, Quality of Design, Heritage, Sustainable
the GBI Technical Report and the 2018 Open Space
Neighbourhoods) also rely on GBI to underpin and
Assessment.
deliver their aspirations.
On a broader scale, the Government’s 25 Year Types of Green and Blue Infrastructure
Environment Plan3 commits to:
GBI refers to many different types of green and blue
space, in public and private ownership, with and
Making sure that there are high quality,
without public access, in urban and rural locations:
accessible, natural spaces close to where people
live and work, particularly in urban areas, and
Parks and gardens – urban parks, pocket parks,
encouraging more people to spend time in them
country parks and formal gardens.
to benefit their health and wellbeing; and,
Focusing on increasing action to improve the Amenity space - play areas, communal gardens,
environment from all sectors of society. playing fields, civic plazas, street trees, living walls
Blackpool Promenade
and sustainable drainage installations which rely on
vegetation.
Natural and semi-natural green space –Woodland,
wetlands, water bodies, nature reserves and other
wildlife sites housing a variety of habitats and Blackpool’s Green and Blue Infrastructure
species.
Key
Green Infrastructure
Beach and Promenade – civic spaces, piers and Blue Infrastructure
headlands.
page 8 page 9
3.0 Setting the Scene
Benefits of Green & Blue Infrastructure6 A useful statistical profile of Blackpool’s population,
economy, health and wellbeing is regularly updated
1. Economic benefits on the Lancashire County website7, allowing
comparisons with county and national trends.
Economic growth and employment
Attraction and retention of businesses to the
area - creation of attractive environments
Urban Fabric
Tourism and recreation - enhancement of Blackpool is intensely urban and compact in form.
economy Almost 75% of land is developed. At its heart is
Staff health and motivation - greener living and the Town Centre and the adjoining Resort Core.
working environments Elsewhere in the Inner Area, there is very little
Increased land and property values open space apart from the promenade and beach.
The following nine wards fall seriously short of the
2. Social benefits
standard of 4 hectares of open space per 1,000
Place-making for family housing and social
Stanley Park Avenue population, as proposed in the emerging Open
cohesion
Space Assessment8: Claremont, Talbot, Brunswick,
Increased health and wellbeing Tyldesley, Victoria, Hawes Side, Waterloo, Highfield
Providing recreation and leisure assets and Squires Gate.
Creation of community resources and a setting
for volunteering Elsewhere, Blackpool is predominantly residential
3. Environmental benefits in character and largely built up to its boundaries,
apart from small pockets of Green Belt which
Conservation and enhancement of biodiversity,
extend into Fylde and Wyre districts. In Blackpool
landscape and geodiversity
the designation of Countryside Areas in conjunction
Protection and enhancement of cultural heritage with the Green Belt defines the limit of urban
and a setting for art development and provides much needed amenity
Climate change adaptation and mitigation and open space.
Blackpool and Fleetwood have the lowest tree
canopy cover in the UK, with only about 4% of the
Marton Mere Overflow Channel Action Plan towns supporting trees, compared to a national
average of 16%9. This is a consequence of exposure
The GBI Action Plan 2019-2029 is a separate to coastal weather, the dense Victorian urban fabric,
document which provides more detail on the the extent of privately-rented property and the
location, content, funding and partnerships needed demand for car parking. Over the past few years,
to implement the Strategy. the Council’s Parks team have planted 3,000 trees
in suburban road verges and some parks, but it will
require the planting of tens of thousands of trees to
bring the town’s cover up to even half the national
Green and Blue Infrastructure Typology
average.
Key
Agricultural Land Grass Verge Parks and Gardens Watercourses
Allotment or Community Garden Grassland or Scrubland Private Domestic Wetland
Amenity Greenspace Institutional Grounds Gardens Woodland
Beach (Health and Education) Promenade
Cemetery, Churchyard or Burial Institutional Grounds Provision for Children
Stanley Park, Italian Gardens
Ground (Other) and Young People
Civic and Market Squares Outdoor Sports Street Trees
Facilities Waterbody
page 10 page 11
3.0 Setting the Scene
Seascape Green and Blue Infrastructure Health and Wellbeing
Blackpool’s coastline is 7 miles long. Blackpool’s A quarter of the town’s open space is provided in Blackpool has a population of 139,195 and is the attractive timber cladding (which has withstood
promenade and seascape is characterised by coastal and around Stanley Park, which is one of the largest seventh most densely populated borough in England vandalism); and natural play. The Park has benefited
defences which have received major investments parks of its kind in the country. It is historically and Wales outside Greater London. The population from financial and human resources provided
within the past decade. These give the seafront important and has Grade II* status on the National is heavily concentrated in Blackpool’s Inner Area through the Better Start programme.
a characterful urban feel. Whilst the defences Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It comprises which experiences considerable transience as
limit opportunities for greening the seascape, the a designed landscape with play areas, a lake and a people move in for short-term employment or
designed headlands along the promenade provide café. The Park facilitates sport through its provision simply to attempt a new start in life; the inexpensive “Revoe Park is a really important green space
civic spaces for congregation and art. of outdoor sports space, tennis courts, flat and housing encourages this. in the heart of a built up area, which we can
crown green bowling and all weather pitches. use to help develop a local community around.
Despite the quality of the seafront, some residents It hosts many regional and national events, for The health of people in Blackpool is generally worse These improvements should help make it a
report that they feel somewhat disconnected from example it is a UK centre of excellence for BMX than the national average. The town records one safer place to visit, while the park rangers and
the promenade, perhaps because of the stark urban racing. of the lowest life expectancy rates nationally and community garden will help families to get
environments in the Inner Area, perhaps because there are inequalities by deprivation and gender. outside, learn new skills and make new friends”
of a perception that the promenade is an area for Opposite Stanley Park is a commercially-operated Problems prevalent in Blackpool include alcohol Cllr. Cain, speaking at a Betterstart event in the
tourists. zoo directly to the east and is next to Marton Mere, and drug misuse, poor mental health, smoking park in 2016
the town’s principal wildlife site. and obesity. Blackpool has the fourth highest rate
of antidepressant prescriptions in the country, Key
Blackpool has several other principal parks, and psychological therapy services are very over- Defined InnerArea
numerous playing fields and other small recreation subscribed. A high percentage of working age Open Space
grounds, providing important recreational, sports residents claim Incapacity Benefit (over 12%), almost
and visual amenity benefits for local communities. double the national average. Health Deprivation Score
1 - Most Deprived
2
Improving the public’s health is now a clear 3
In 2017, Stanley Park was voted Best UK Park by
responsibility for local authorities. Blackpool Council 4 - Least Deprived
Fields in Trust. Parks and Green Spaces Minister,
is developing a range of approaches to tackling the
Marcus Jones MP, said: “Many congratulations
underlying causes of poor health and promoting
to Stanley Park on being voted the UK’s Best
healthier lives. Examples include linking GPs to social
Park 2017 in the Fields in Trust Awards. The
prescribing alternatives for patients to improve their
public support shown for this park highlights just
health and wellbeing and reduce social isolation;
how much the residents of Blackpool care about
debt counselling; volunteering opportunities; and
their treasured green space.”
Living Streets “Walk to” projects in primary schools
and workplaces.
There is very little GBI in the Inner Area or the Town
Centre. Its major GBI resource is the coast and In 2017, Blackpool Council was the first local
beach. authority in England to sign a Local Authority
Declaration on Healthy Weight. The Declaration
Route 62 of the National Cycle Network runs the includes a commitment to make the most of
length of the promenade and inland to Stanley Park planning and infrastructure opportunities to
and Heron’s Reach. positively impact on physical health.
Revoe Park, is one of the key parks for the
Defined Inner Area, has undergone a number of
improvements to meet the needs of the community,
including a community garden using disused bowling
greens; renovation of the park buildings using
Health Deprivation in Blackpool
page 12 page 13
3.0 Setting the Scene
Tourism Economic Growth and Investment
Blackpool is England’s largest and most popular Blackpool Town Centre is the main retail and
seaside resort attracting 17m tourism visits (13.5 cultural centre for the Fylde Coast and employs
million day visits, 3.5 million staying11) . Whilst over 6,000 people, generating a retail turnover of
Blackpool remains at the heart of the UK tourism around £300 million per annum. However, the Town
and visitor economy, it has experienced a significant Centre is under performing as a sub-regional retail
decline in visitor numbers from the 1980’s onwards, centre. Jobs in Blackpool are generally low skill
a consequence of growing consumer affluence, and low wage and small businesses predominate.
enhanced consumer choice and perceived Blackpool Beach Furthermore, reliance on the tourism industry
obsolescence of the town’s visitor offer. means there is high seasonal unemployment in the
winter months.
In recent years there have been positive signs
that Blackpool is beginning to revitalise the visitor Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone (EZ) is a 144ha
economy and attract a new generation of families site incorporating Blackpool Airport which is
and visitors. Significant new public sector investment now in the control of the Council. The EZ is a key
has improved the quality of the resort offer and the employment site with potential to support nearly
urban environment. However, Blackpool still has 140 new businesses and up to 3,000 new jobs over
some way to go in providing a high quality resort the next 25 years. The EZ has a strong emphasis on
offer which appeals to a 21st century tourist market creating a green and attractive environment.
and supports a sustainable visitor economy.
Queens Park
Blackpool Council alongside with Blackpool Housing
Quality of Place Company and Blackpool Coastal Housing are also
pro-actively enabling development and working
Blackpool’s world renowned British Seaside has Blackpool is committed to growth and regeneration with developers and investors to shape and facilitate
developed around its iconic Victorian architecture in several key areas, as expressed in the Core regeneration and new development.
including Blackpool Tower, Winter Gardens, Strategy Key Diagram12. The Town Centre, Resort
theatres, hotels and many other civic buildings. Core and neighbourhoods within the Inner Area are Gateways are a key economic priority and include
The built heritage of Blackpool is something which the primary focus for transformation. In terms of Yeadon Way, Preston New Road, and Progress Way
people are proud of and identify with. housing, this means restricting multiple occupancy leading to the Enterprise Zone. The tourist entry
and poor landlord behaviour, with targeted points at Blackpool North Station and Central
The downside of the intensive development of demolition and building of new family homes, Corridor also provide potential for introducing
visitor and residential accommodation is that it such as the new Foxhall Urban Village. Outside added value through GBI.
has resulted in creating many of Blackpool’s low the Inner Area, housing estates such as Mereside,
income and vulnerable households, in Blackpool’s Grange Farm and Queens Park will be restructured Key
inner area, which has a negative effect on forming to improve the quality of the housing offer; and new Street Trees
stable and cohesive communities. The high levels housing in south Blackpool around Whyndyke Farm Biological Heritage Sites
of crime, anti-social behaviour, worklessness and and Moss House Road. Site of Special Scientific Interest
low educational attainment coupled with significant Local Nature Reserve
transience presents one of the most testing social Woodland
Land and Biodiversity
Flood Zone 3
and economic challenges in the country. “You can’t do welfare reform separately from
Waterbodies
having some sort of place-based economic
Although not always causative, the lack of GBI strategy as well” Jonathan Portes, Chief Sealed Surface Coverage (%)
in the Inner Area correlates strongly with wards Economist, Dept. of Work and Pensions, 0-20
suffering lowest levels of mental health and physical 2002-2008, (quoted in “On the Edge”, a 21-40
wellbeing. The Council has strategies to improve the Financial Times article about Blackpool, 41-60
61-80
worst quality housing and promote further family November 2017)
81-100
based tourism development, reducing the negative
connotations associated with day-tripping.
page 14 page 15
Land and Biodiversity
Undeveloped open land in the east of the town
is made up of protected public open space, sites
of nature conservation value, Green Belt and
Countryside Areas. Blackpool’s intensely built-up
urban area means this open land has important
landscape, nature conservation and environmental
value.
Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve, located on
the eastern edge of the town, is one of the few
remaining natural freshwater sites in Lancashire
covering an area of 39 hectares. The reserve was
once associated with a former rubbish tip, but is
now a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to
its bird populations.
With a wardened visitor centre, Marton Mere
is the hub of nature conservation activity and
volunteering in the town.
Blackpool has a number of Biological Heritage
Sites (BHS); these are part of a network of key
wildlife sites across Lancashire. Within Blackpool
nearly all the BHS’s are ponds which form part of
land allocated as open space. The North Blackpool
(or Kincraig) Pond Trail is an example of how
nature assets are linked together and used as an
educational asset.
Fylde’s arable growing systems require healthy
populations of pollinators and the urban
greenspaces within Blackpool can provide a
reservoir of plants and habitats suitable for these
vital insect species.
Agricultural land on the eastern boundary of
Blackpool is level, fertile and open. Extending into
neighbouring Wyre and Fylde, the field boundary
systems (ditches, hedges and shelterbelts) have
become fragmented and have lost distinctiveness
due to urbanisation.
Blackpool’s urban areas have a very high proportion
of hard or ‘sealed’ surfaces which can cause flash
flooding after heavy rain resulting in nuisance,
economic damage or pollution.
page 16 page 17
4.0 Goals
GBI Goals
The graphic below highlights Blackpool’s six
main GBI Goals, which have been identified from
consultation and a review of evidence. Investment
in GBI will of course benefit other areas of public life
such as heritage, climatic resilience and education
Attracting Enabling Productive Greener Engaging people in Promoting a Green Habitats for
Visitors Business and Housing Health and Well- Image and Culture Wildlife and
and Workers and being Pollinators
Tourists Infrastructure
page 18 page 19Goal 1: Engaging People in Health and Wellbeing
Our Goal Inner Area Volunteering and Training East Pines Park, Anchorsholme
The open space audit shows there are massive Blackpool has a very active volunteering This small greenspace had become prone to
Blackpool’s Green and Blue Infrastructure is deficiencies of accessible greenspace in the Inner culture particularly in the fields of social care antisocial behaviour and drug use until parents
the setting for people to meet, exercise, play Area. This has a particularly negative effect on and rehabilitation. Parks provide excellent joined forces officers to improve security, replace
and recharge their batteries. Contact with the young families, the elderly and those less mobile volunteering opportunities for businesses and hedges with railings and create better managed
natural world reduces stress, helps recovery and who may not be able to easily access the parks for individuals. GP’s can prescribe green gym play facilities. The group made grant applications to
builds community cohesion, particularly through and promenade. Planning policy can resist any therapies and participants report the mental local businesses and charities and the park is now an
volunteering together. Our Green and Blue further losses of vegetation and encourage creation health benefits they gain from social contacts. active hub for the local community.
Infrastructure can help Blackpool’s residents live of pocket parks, street trees and doorstep green
long, happy and healthy lives. infrastructure in regeneration and new development Case Studies Key Policy Links and Partnerships
proposals.
Our Priorities Grow Blackpool 1. Blackpool Council Plan 2015 to 2020, Priority
Blackpool Outdoors Grow Blackpool is a Groundwork led initiative Two: Creating Stronger Communities and
These are our implementation priorities: Blackpool has a low rate of participation in outdoor funded by Blackpool Council to promote the Increasing Resilience
activity16. About 18,500 Blackpool people use the benefits of eating fresh fruit and vegetables
outdoor environment each week. This is 5,000 people 2. Local Plan Core Strategy objectives 4, 5, 8, 11, 12.
Early Years and Family Groups daily and enabling people to grow it themselves.
Through initiatives like Better Start, Blackpool is less than the national average for a town of our size. Saving money, learning new skills, becoming more 3. Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Blackpool
already diversifying its parks to create natural play To get another 5000 people outdoors each week in active and making new friends are all outcomes 4. Blackpool Better Start
opportunities which build mental resilience amongst Blackpool would mean: of the scheme. One of the achievements from
children13. Our parks are used by adults learning Grow Blackpool is the formation of the Friends of 5. “Steps to Health” – Blackpool’s community
parenting skills through horticultural and craft 17 more “Parkruns”; or Jubilee Gardens. The group care for the 100 year health walking scheme and Living Streets:
activities in family groups. 167 school groups; or old Promenade Sunken Gardens by Gynn Square Walk to 2017-2020
250 new walking groups; or in Blackpool. They want the gardens to be well 6. Blackpool Sport and Physical Activity Strategy
Schools and Routes to Schools 400 new sports teams; or maintained and to play their part in supporting
7. Local transport plans and associated the Rights
Greener school grounds and well treed routes to other Agencies and Council Departments in
1,250 more families using our parks. of Way Improvement Plan
school are shown to improve mental health of achieving this aim, particularly with cuts to Council
children using them14. budgets and the realisation that the way public 8. Solaris Centre and links to nature-based health
Quite a challenge! Obviously not all these activities spaces are funded and managed in the past has initiatives explored by Lancaster University
need to happen at the same time – nevertheless now changed. To make this happen, involvement
Adult Life and Older Years
our parks and promenade are good enough and big from the local community is vital and needs to be
Urban parks provide a natural health service which enough to deliver!
is worth many millions to the local economy15. nurtured and encouraged.
Cycling and Walking Revoe Park
Investing in Parks saves Health Service money Blackpool has the opportunity to become a highly Blackpool’s Better Start programme has funded
walkable and cyclable town. These activities Early Years Park Rangers to promote learning Revoe Park Horticultural
In Sheffield (population 575,000) parks provide
immediately improve health and wellbeing. To through play. The programme has funded works Scheme by Better Start East Pines Park Volunteers
a substantial contribution to health, through
encourage more “green travel” for recreation and to improve security, create a natural play area and
reduced circulatory disease and reduced
commuting we can promote: convert disused bowling greens into training areas
burden of depression. In fact, they provide
£700 million of savings to the health service for woodwork and horticultural skills. These are
The “Blackpool Activity Trail”; a project to used by parent and toddler groups and by adults
through “avoided cost” of physical and mental
establish walking and cycling routes involving the seeking to rebuild their skills and self-esteem
health treatments. This equates to £1,217
promenade and a chain of parks and open spaces. following personal difficulties. The park is a vital
per person. If replicated in Blackpool this is
an avoided cost of £173 million. Improving The “Quality Corridors” where investment in green lung in the Inner Area.
participation levels and investing in measures public realm, street scene management and
that encourage people to visit parks and feel street trees will enhance walkability.
secure would result in further savings. New “Greenways” (routes connecting people on
foot or bike to facilities and open spaces in and
around towns and the countryside, which can
encourage people to travel sustainably).
page 20 page 21Goal 2: Enhancing the Visitor Experience
Our Goal Beside the Seaside Case Studies Key Policy Links and Partnerships
The Central Business District, the Leisure Quarter
Blackpool is renowned for the quality of its parks and the Resort Core are all areas where green and Stanley Park and Zoo 1. Blackpool Council Plan 2015 to 2020, Priority
and public realm which have become visitor blue infrastructure would uplift quality and sense of As Blackpool’s largest and most prestigious Park, One: The Economy
destinations in their own right. Landscape quality arrival. The dense and compact urban fabric means Stanley Park provides a wide variety of events and 2. Local Plan Core Strategy Objectives 14 and 15
is enhanced along the main road and rail corridors innovative and sometimes artist-led approaches are activities throughout the year generating income
and at gateways into the town centre. The town needed to ensure street trees, planters and green for the town. In summer 2017 the Park hosted a 3. Town Centre Strategy, 2013
becomes a hub for coastal walking and cycling tours. walls are seen as assets rather than maintenance Dinosaur Festival, the first outdoor festival of its kind 4. Destination Blackpool, Resort Placemaking
liabilities. in the UK. Life sized replica animatronic dinosaurs Prospectus
Our Priorities were placed around the Park as well as a simulated
Arrival Experience archaeological dig scene. Other events at Stanley
These are our implementation priorities: There is scope for significant uplift in the Park and its visitor centre include pumpkin carving,
presentation and consistency of green infrastructure Macmillan coffee mornings, Christmas carols, high
Stanley Park, Zoo and Marton Mere along the tourist getaway and some scope for ropes course, music events at the bandstand, weekly
Now the park is recognised as the Best in the inserting additional greening within the main Parkrun and an annual motorcycle show.
UK we can promote it widely within the town parking areas without affecting overall capacity (for
and to broader audiences across the UK. The example pleached trees). This would improve visual Blackpool Zoo is an award winning zoo housing over
park development plan will maintain a focus on quality, civic pride and sense of arrival. 1,500 animals ranging from sea lions to orangutans
quality and continuous refreshing of its visitor to giraffes. In 2017, the Zoo celebrated its 45th
offer, including events, attractions, festivals, Volunteering, Sponsorship and Partnership anniversary which was marked with a number of
performances, art and horticulture. Connectivity We can do more to connect local environmental celebrations including welcoming its 15 millionth
with the town centre, the promenade and other volunteers with additional human resources, finance visitor.
principal parks in Blackpool, Fleetwood and Lytham and equipment that can be provided by the many
St Annes will be promoted, which will help visitors businesses, expatriates and groups that have a Bank Hey Street Improvements
navigate throughout Blackpool and encourage a special affinity with the town. Merlin Entertainments who operate the Blackpool
longer visitor stay. Tower complex, partnered with the Council to fund
streetscene enhancements near the Tower.
Horticultural Excellence
The town’s tradition of horticultural excellence has
been under threat due to public sector funding cuts
but the popularity of Royal Horticultural Society
Gardens and the Eden Project shows the economic
value of having a horticultural attraction. This
could be centred on Stanley Park, but in any case Public Art St Johns Square
Music event at Stanley Park Band Stand
maintaining horticultural excellence is critical for the
landscapes of our corridors and gateways.
Walking and Cycling
The promenade is already a national cycle route,
part of the England coastal path and the Lancashire
Coastal Way. Blackpool is a possible Trans Pennine
trail starting route and implementation of the
Blackpool Activity Trail would add a local element,
perhaps encouraging additional bike hire and café
businesses. Implementation of greenways along
corridors radiating from the town centre would also
add to the visitor experience.
page 22 page 23Goal 3: Greener Housing and Infrastructure
Our Goal Case Studies Key Policy Links and Partnerships
New housing has ready access to high-quality green green spaces more versatile and user-friendly. Queens Park and Layton Rec. 1. Blackpool Council Plan, Priority One: The
spaces. The historic trend of loss of greenery in the All possible policy instruments and funding streams The redevelopment of Queens Park has enabled the Economy and Priority Two: Creating Stronger
Inner Area and South Shore is reversed and new should be deployed to direct resources towards a enhancement of Layton Rec, a Blackpool Council Communities and Increasing Resilience
multifunctional green spaces are opened up for comprehensive renewal of these neighbourhoods. owned greenspace. The landscape improvement
locals to enjoy. Blackpool’s transport corridors and Foxhall Village and Queens Park are examples of works are being carried out alongside the second 2. Core Strategy Objectives 2,5,7,8,9,16,18,19,20,21
built-up areas use green infrastructure to improve radical housing transformation resulting in much phase of development. Layton Rec now has new and future SPD on design quality
the town’s resilience to pollution, flooding and better GBI. pedestrian and cycle paths along with soft and
climate change. hard landscaping. Within the housing area, quality 3. Blackpool and the Fylde: Our Strategy for inclusive
Corridors and Gateways greenspaces and play facilities are provided. wealth and prosperity
Our Priorities The three principal road corridors into the town
and the designated Quality Corridors into the West Rhyl Housing Regeneration Project and the 4. Blackpool’s Built Heritage Strategy 2016-2020
These are our implementation priorities: town centre are our “shop window” and each has Gerddi Heulwen Park
scope for tree-planting and green infrastructure Rhyl’s Victorian-era housing in neighbourhoods 5. Lancashire Flood Risk Management Strategy
New Housing enhancement to create a distinctive and mature behind the promenade has similarities to Blackpool (refreshed 2018 onwards) will promote SuDS
Blackpool is determined to improve the quality setting for the town. in terms of a dense urban fabric, patterns of
of its overall housing offer. Blackpool is to deliver transient occupancy, and a fierce neighbourhood
4,200 new homes between 2012 and 2027. New The “Green Line” loyalty amongst long-established residents. In
housing offers opportunities to create pocket parks, The car parks and public spaces, including George consultation with residents, a new green space,
play areas, civic trees, community food-growing Bancroft Park, that form a pedestrian movement Gerddi Heulwen, was created in 2014 after
areas and other imaginative landscapes. Robust corridor from Blackpool South station towards demolition of a hundred properties, as part of a
arrangements for long-term landscape management the town centre could be further enhanced with programme of neighbourhood renewal.
are just as important as good design of housing vegetation, green walls and pleached trees.
areas. Developer checklists can stimulate creative Manchester City of Trees
approaches to GBI provision. Weather Proofing Over a sustained period, spanning several transport
Blackpool’s dense urban fabric means we have too and public realm projects, Manchester City Council
A key development as an exemplar for other housing many “sealed surfaces” which cause flash flooding has invested in civic trees, street art and furniture
developments will be the Whyndyke Garden Village, after heavy rain. In the public realm, parks and and roadside raingardens to uplift the environmental
one of NHS England’s Healthy New Towns. Where road verges can be remodelled slightly to act as rain quality and user-friendliness of Oxford Road and the
GBI is designed into the masterplan from the gardens, soakaways and swales. Gardeners and Town Hall environs.
beginning to promote health and wellbeing. landowners can play a part in weather-proofing the
town through retaining greenery and planting trees.
Housing Area Transformation
Several established residential areas will be renewed Involving Residents
over the next decades. Our Core Strategy is clear Blackpool’s people are proud of the town. Alongside West Rhyl Housing Regeneration Project (Tobermore Ltd)
physical transformation of our housing areas, we Layton Recreation Ground Visualisation
that the town’s housing mix must be rebalanced
to make the Inner Area, South Shore and certain should involve residents in design and management
other housing estates more attractive for family of green infrastructure on their doorstep and in the
life. The Inner Area has a significant deficiency principal parks.
in all types of green infrastructure which depresses
property values and discourages family life.
The urban fabric can be restructured so it is fit
for 21st century family life with new green spaces
created in areas of deficiency. Elsewhere new
development can release funds to make existing
page 24 page 25Goal 4: Enabling Productive Businesses and Workers
Our Goal Business Involvement Business Improvement Districts
Volunteering days and corporate social responsibility Businesses in several towns and cities are
High quality Green Infrastructure adds value to Attractive business environments can add a links can help engage more people in Blackpool’s establishing Green Infrastructure Strategies for town
business environments, notably in the Enterprise premium to the value of business premises, which great outdoor spaces. From clean-ups to nature centres e.g. Northwich, Stockport and Winckley
Zone, the Central Business District and the Leisure benefit the economy and help spur investment in reserve management, volunteering can be Square, Preston. Greening initiatives, public realm
Quarter. Our parks are a setting for people to development projects that support employment. promoted widely, to the benefit of the Council and improvements and sustainable drainage schemes
learn skills and gain self-confidence to enter the local businesses. are seen as contributing to economic growth and
workplace. Enterprise Zone retail footfall.
The Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone is the Benefits of Employee Volunteering
Our Priorities principal node for industrial and commercial office A well-structured business volunteering programme Key Policy Links and Partnerships
growth in Blackpool. This important business park benefits individuals and employers18:
These are our implementation priorities: aims to be a leading destination for advanced 1. Blackpool Council Plan, Priority One: The
manufacturing and energy-related businesses. The 97% of volunteers said activities help develop a Economy
Town Centre and Blackpool Central masterplan for the EZ includes opportunities for strong team 2. Core Strategy Objectives 3,8,15,17,21
In this dense and compact setting, green green infrastructure along boulevards within the
95% felt that volunteering had a positive
infrastructure needs to be carefully designed business park and the redevelopment of sporting 3. A Better Blackpool (prospectus for
influence on them
into the public realm and sometimes artist-led fields. Using green infrastructure to highlight transformation of the Town Centre and
messages about the circular economy and to create 76% said it had a positive influence on how they transport links)
approaches can turn street trees and planters into
a prestigious environment can attract creative start- feel about their employer
an asset rather than a maintenance liability (see 4. Blackpool and the Fylde: Our Strategy for
London case study). Comprehensive redevelopment ups and mature businesses. inclusive wealth and prosperity
can create an opportunity for a rooftop park which Skills Development
Key Corridors and Gateways Working with local colleges, our parks can offer 5. Walk 2017-2020: Walking and Cycling Access for
can be a versatile space for events or rest and
Green infrastructure can create a sense of arrival apprenticeships along with horticultural and everyday journeys
relaxation (see Chavasse Park case study).
and prestige, important in attracting and retaining construction skills training which boost confidence
Quality Enterprises businesses. Much depends on the quality of amongst people seeking to re-enter the workplace.
Attracting and retaining quality enterprises to landscape management. Fortunately Blackpool Case Studies
Grizedale Forestry Apprenticeship Scheme
Blackpool is an important component of growing has considerable horticultural expertise and
and diversifying the local economy. High-value interventions such as wildflower verges, street trees London: Bringing Creativity and Green
businesses have an expectation of high quality and hedging can all create a sense of destination. Infrastructure Together
premises and business environments from which Inconsistency of existing roadside landscapes In Oxford Street, London some shops have
to operate, in order to attract the best staff and to currently creates a slightly disjointed arrival sponsored illuminated tree guards which provide
project a leading corporate image. Green spaces experience. an attractive feature while protecting the tree from
within a business park is a key component of this, vandalism. At London Bridge, a group of young
enabling businesses to operate in an attractive architects designed a pop-up bench/planter system
setting and staff having an outdoor lunchtime/ which brought seating and greenery to a busy public
recreation location. space.
Chavasse Park, Liverpool One London Bridge Planter - WMB Studio
As part of the Liverpool One retail development, a
new park was created over an underground carpark.
The park features grassed areas for general use
along with hard surfaced areas for events, Christmas
markets, pop-up restaurants, etc. Situated on rising
ground it forms a visual gateway into the retail area
from the waterfront and provides vistas over the
Albert Dock.
page 26 page 27Goal 5: Promoting a Green Image and Culture
Our Goal Exemplary Coastal Regeneration Case Studies Key Policy Links and Partnerships
Blackpool is one of many coastal towns in Britain
Blackpool will be known for the quality of its parks and Ireland addressing long-term decline through Green Walls 1. Blackpool Council Plan, Priority Two: Creating
and public realm, and they host events and public physical re-structuring of the urban environment Green walls have been established near two British Stronger Communities and Increasing Resilience
art of which its townspeople are proud. Green and building a strong cultural brand. As the UK’s railway stations, Birmingham New Street and
leading coastal resort, Blackpool can export its 2. Core Strategy Objectives 5,12 and 14
Infrastructure provides a setting for the best of the Deansgate, Manchester. These help to obscure
town’s Victorian and Twentieth Century architectural expertise in creating and managing Green and some unattractive facades and also create a sense 3. A Better Blackpool
heritage Blue Infrastructure as part of a transformation of arrival and a point of interest in a confined urban 4. Blackpool Town Centre Strategy 2013
programme. space.
Our Priorities 5. Blackpool’s Built Heritage Strategy 2016-2020
Blackpool Activity Trail Stanley Park 6. Fields In Trust
These are our implementation priorities: Despite its name, this is in fact a proposal for series The park is known for its national role in various
of linked footpaths/cycleways that allow people sports and was voted the Best Field Day 2017. It
Parks Development Plans to explore the coast, the town centre, heritage is served by a management team which actively
We are rightly proud of Stanley Park as the Best assets, the countryside and Stanley Park. The route seeks opportunities for revenue generation and
UK Park in 2017. We can continue to build on is mapped, but there is still much signposting and involvement of national sports and leisure bodies.
its reputation as a centre of excellence through surfacing and awareness-raising work to do. More locally it encourages culture and educational
encouraging niche businesses, education facilities, events such as the Wordpool Festival aimed at
sports and events that add social value, income Small Town Big Profile stimulating children’s interest in poetry and reading.
streams and training opportunities. By linking Blackpool is a small town with a big profile.
Stanley Park to other parks in Blackpool, Lytham Millions of people come from all over the
St Annes and Fleetwood, we will build civic pride. United Kingdom every year to enjoy our unique
Park Development Plans for all our parks would environment and attractions, and tourism
include attention to boundaries, gateways, railings, continues to dominate our town like no other
civic trees and other measures which enhance their place in the country. The Council’s Plan (2019-
contribution to quality of place. 2024) embraces this fact, recognising the
increasing contribution which our cultural
Arts in the Public Realm and creative economy can make to pulling in
Parks, public realm and the promenade headlands new types of visitor and providing the fun and Birley Street Public Art
can provide a setting for public art, performance, spectacle for which we are renowned Deansgate, Manchester (AnsGlobal)
theatre and community activity. Stanley Park Boating Lake
Townscape
Particularly in the Inner Area, policy should
resist removal of vegetation and encourage new
development to incorporate significant green
infrastructure and street trees to improve quality
of place and contribute to climatic resilience of the
urban fabric.
Gateways and Transport Corridors
Green infrastructure approaches such as green walls
at the main point of arrival and civic trees, hedging
and wildflower verges alongside road corridors can
enhance the sense of arrival.
page 28 page 29Goal 6: Improving Habitats and Benefiting Pollinators
Our Goal Bugs Life! Retrofitting green and blue infrastructure into the Marton Mere and North Blackpool (Kincraig)
We will develop a pollinator strategy with actions for urban fabric Pond Trail
Blackpool’s Wildlife Sites are well-managed and main road verges, parks, school grounds, places of Blackpool has a high proportion of “sealed surface”. Marton Mere is literally the “natural gateway” to
used by volunteers and wildlife-watchers. Our worship, farmland and private gardens. The Fylde’s Development and estate regeneration offers the Blackpool. It has a dramatic lake and reedbed with
parks, school grounds and main road verges are agricultural economy is very important with over opportunity to protect existing vegetation and a very diverse birdlife and views of the Tower and
biodiverse, supporting bees, butterflies and other 3000ha of arable and cereal crops19, all dependent introduce new green infrastructure, swales and the Fylde Countryside. With a Visitor Centre and
pollinators which in turn sustain the Fylde’s arable on pollination. The UK agricultural economy soakaways, thus improving biodiversity, reducing an adjoining Holiday Park, it is a hub for wildlife-
farming economy. Vegetation in the town and rural receives £430m benefit from bee pollination20. local flood risk and improving the quality of water watching and outdoors volunteering. It has walking
fringe helps filter pollution and improve quality of flowing into the Irish Sea, helping maintain our and cycling links to Stanley Park. With the future
water before it reaches the Irish Sea. Our parks have Urban environments and private gardens can be quality beaches . development of the nearby Whyndyke urban village
healthy soils. Our townspeople can easily get to a refuge for bees and butterflies. At a local scale, its role in the environmental consciousness of the
the coast and countryside. The rural fringe is of high deficiencies in allotments and community orchards “Meantime Greening” area will increase.
visual quality, with well-managed field edge ditches, are addressed, particularly in the Inner Area. Short-term greening of vacant urban land can
verges and hedges typical of open farmland. Stanley Park Zoo and Forest Schools curricula offer maintain biodiversity and offer temporary Rangers based at Marton Mere co-ordinate
the opportunity for learning about invertebrates and allotments and food-growing. At Revoe Park, volunteering in many of the town’s other parks
Our Priorities their value to society. disused bowling greens have been taken over for and also manage the Kincraig Pond Trail, a locally
skills training and early years play. important wildlife corridor which provides accessible
These are our implementation priorities: Fylde Farmland Edge semi-natural greenspace for residents in the north
Blackpool’s rural edge is visually disjointed and is Case Studies east of Blackpool.
Wildlife Sites and Green Corridors losing its distinctive landscape character21. Restoring
Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve and Site of “typical” field boundaries such as ditches, reedbeds, Green Infrastructure Action Plan for Pollinators Key Policy Links and Partnerships
Special Scientific Interest is the hub of much nature hedges, flower-rich verges and shelterbelts would (GIAPP) in South-east Wales
conservation activity and can act as a centre of also improve wildlife connectivity and water quality The GIAPP is a landscape-scale project addressing 1. Core Strategy Objectives 5,6,11 and 20
excellence to ensure all our Biological Heritage Sites by filtering diffuse source pollution from farmland the decline in biodiversity and providing benefits to 2. National Pollinator Strategy (Defra 2014)
(BHS) are well-managed and linked to community and roads. the economy and communities through creating the
3. A Landscape Strategy for Lancashire (Lancs.
volunteers who help with site stewardship. environments that favour the creatures that help to
What is Natural Capital? County Council, 2000)
BHS’s, urban wildlife, green corridors and coastal pollinate plants.
habitats are designated in planning policy and new Natural capital is ‘the stock of our physical 4. Federation of City Farms and Community
development ensures that their continuity and natural assets (such as soil, forests, water and The GIAPP produced long term action plans for Gardens
educational value is protected. biodiversity) which provide flows of services publicly-owned land, focussing on how public
5. Lancashire Wildlife Trust (e.g. Living Seas and
that benefit people (such as pollinating crops, organisations can embed sustainable management
Living Landscapes projects)
natural hazard protection, climate regulation principles in their daily activities. The GIAPP places
or the mental health benefits of a walk in the an emphasis on the intrinsic value of pollinators 6. Lancashire Ecological Network, 2015
park). Natural capital is valuable to our economy. to the public, aiming to provide a more colourful, 7. Fylde Peninsula Water Management Group
Some marketable products such as timber have a artistic and functional environment.
financial value that has been known for centuries.
In other cases (e.g. the role of bees in pollinating
crops), we are only just beginning to understand Bees as pollinators Marton Mare wading volunteers New hedge on arable land near Blackpool
their financial value.’ (Department for the
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2011)
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