Revoe community sports village plan to complement wider central Blackpool regeneration

Work to build a new community sports village in central Blackpool is expected to start later this year.

Blackpool Council, in conjunction with Blackpool Football Club and Blackpool Football Club Community Trust, is proposing to build two seven-a-side football pitches, a multi-use games area and two padel courts for local people to use opposite Revoe park, with a report recommending the council’s Executive to approve taking forward the development at a meeting on 16 March.

The community sports village is part of a wider plan from the council to restore Central Drive back to its heyday as an area of Blackpool where local families want to live and raise their families.

It complements the council’s plans to build more affordable housing at Foxhall Village, build better houses and green spaces further up Central Drive, and attract a new investment partner to the Blackpool Central development to create new jobs for local people.

Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Economy, said: “This council is committed to making Blackpool better and restoring Central Drive back to its heyday as an area where local people want to live and spend time in.

‘’We have a vision of local families choosing Central Drive as their go to area of Blackpool to live in, because of all the quality housing, green space and opportunities we’ve created.

“While our housing projects are about providing better homes for people to live in, this project is about improving the healthy lifestyles of people who live centrally, by creating community sports facilities for everybody to enjoy.

“The project will also help the football club’s community trust to increase its offer to local people, while also facilitating improvements to the East Stand to make the area around the football stadium a nicer place to visit.”

The project, which was awarded £6.5m from the UK Government’s Town Deal in 2022, is a joint programme with Blackpool Football Club and Blackpool Football Club Community Trust.

As well as the football club and trust using the pitches for its women and girls teams, walking football, wheelchair sports and junior leagues, the pitches will also be available to hire by community groups and schools. A revised planning application for the scheme will be submitted in the coming months.

All but one house on the west side of Henry Street, have been acquired through negotiation. 

Planning approval has been obtained to demolish all the properties so Blackpool Football Club can improve the East Stand and create a better public realm. Phase one of the project was completed last summer, which included the installation of a new TV gantry and press facilities. The football club plans to submit a planning application for the additional works later this spring.