Plans will completely transform shop front in the centre of resort

Tuesday, 17 June 2025 15:22

By Richard Hunt

Proposals to radically transform a shop front in the middle of Blackpool town centre have been lodged with planners.

Previous occupants of the property at 73 Topping Street installed what was described as an “electric blue aluminium frontage and an external roller shutter” which wer not keeping with the building’s Victorian character.

Now an application submitted to Blackpool Council proposes the renovation of an existing shopfront, including removal of unauthorised shutter, repainting of aluminium framework, and addition of decorative stained glass to enhance the appearance.

The shop is currently empty but the applicants want to change the way it looks for future use.

A Design, Access and Heritage Statement, prepared by Alan Jones Chartered surveyors on behalf of the applicants. states: “No. 73 Topping Street is located within a historic area of Blackpool, comprising predominantly Victorian and Edwardian terraced properties.

“The building itself is a traditional late Victorian terrace house, dating from around 1900. It is constructed using Accrington brick and clay common brick, with sandstone detailing and a double-pitched roof finished with Welsh slate tiles.

“This architectural style is characteristic of its era and contributes to the historical streetscape of Topping Street.

“The original shopfront has been altered in recent decades, notably through the installation of an incongruous electric blue aluminium frontage and an external roller shutter—features that did not respect the historic fabric or aesthetic of the building or its surroundings.

“The current proposal seeks to regularise and improve the visual impact of the shopfront through sensitive and sympathetic changes. “

The proposals are pending a decision from planners.