A Future for the Past is the new, exciting Built Heritage Strategy developed by Blackpool Council. It has been founded to ensure preservation and promotion of the town’s assets until 2020. Included as assets are historical buildings, parks, gardens, archaeology and conservation areas. It outlines exactly how the Council intends to manage the challenges of caring for our historic built environment.
Improved monitoring and managing of heritage assets takes place within this strategy together with overseeing the condition of conservation areas by undertaking surveys and regular reviews. Within the strategy Blackpool Council is also fervently active in the encouragement of the engagement of members of the local community. This includes both within the town’s heritage and participation in projects that develop greater understanding of the town’s past.
The strategy has three themes:
- Protecting and conserving built heritage
- Community participation
- Advocacy and promotion
Also included within the plan are aims to give advice and assist in research in order to help owners and developers achieve most from their historic buildings. Clear guidance, alongside encouragement to engage with local communities where development proposals affect heritage, will be at the forefront of the scheme.
Blackpool Council’s previous purchase of the Winter Gardens and Blackpool Tower in 2010 highlighted their continued commitment to heritage, the previous strategy and lottery funded initiatives paving the way. One successful programme was aimed at understanding the historic built environment of Blackpool and involved a programme of townscape characterisation reports commissioned by the council in 2008. Recommendations from these reports initiated new projects such as the local list. Now finished, it shows that currently over 250 buildings are now protected and within local list designation.
Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council, said, “Blackpool Council continues to be proud of this unique heritage as the epitome of the British holiday resort. We are committed to protecting and managing the built heritage of neighbourhoods within Blackpool both in the immediate and long term future. This strategy allows us all to celebrate and appreciate the heritage we have in the town. We want to ensure that our exceptional heritage is not only recognised but also made accessible to as many people as possible.”
The strategy is available to read at www.blackpool.gov.uk/heritagestrategy, and at the Central Library, Queen Street.
Featured image courtesy of Jill Reidy.
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