Plans show a hotel, train/tram/bus/taxi transfer hub and a 127 space car park.
20/07/2019 – Written By: WILL RITCHIE, EDITOR
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Plans have been released detailing the next phase of the Talbot Gateway Project including an artists impression of how the current Wilko site will look after the next phase including the 142 bedroom Holiday Inn hotel and conferencing facilities – is completed.
The project is due to be rolled out in stages and this should be something like the finished article ready for the next phase of construction to begin.
Wilko are still trading from the current site and until contractors have been found for a phase of development that was planned at tower street adjacent to houndshill – it appears they will stay at the talbot road site effectively holding up the next phase of development.
A spokesperson for Muse developments when interviewed by media outlet Place Northwest said –
“The timeline on Wilko’s move is still not clear, so it’s a case of slowly pedalling up behind them – there’s no point appointing contractors and consultants too early.
“We’ll develop a shortlist over the coming months, with a view to appointing somebody later this year and hopefully starting next year.”
Demolition on the wilko site is planned for April 2020 in the tender
Some locals have spoken out about the simplicity of putting a car park around the remainder of the site however the full project has always been billed as having other retail and office space included in the final development. The car park is meant as a temporary stop gap while the separate phases of construction are completed.
Other locals have voiced concerns that building such a large hotel in the area will be taking revenue from local hoteliers with fears that some could go out of business altogether.
Earlier impressions of the site have been released by developer MUSE who are the main partner on this regeneration project in the heart of the town.
Some other residents have spoken out on social media criticising the councils lack of vision by not re-introducing a bus station very close to the tram and train hub.
The contract to build the hotel is currently out to tender and has been since april.
The plans include keeping the underpass connection with the train station.
Plans for talbot gateway phase 2 do however include the bus stops outside the Talbot road site as one of the many new bus hubs that shall be springing up around the town.
The idea being that you can travel from one hub to another via bus tram or on foot maximising foot traffic in the town centre by spreading out some of the main centres of infrastructure. This is in line with how some parts of manchester have integrated different forms of transportation.
One group want to see a complete extension of the tramway linking lytham and st.annes on the tram network utilising possibly existing train lines running into blackpool south..
Regardless of how fantastic the new tram hub and hotel look – the first impression visitors arriving by train to Blackpool will still be…
Town planning isn’t a straightforward task and in any major change there will always be supporters and critics alike.
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