10 Years of No Supper Casino in Blackpool

Mike Steves talking about investment in the seaside town.

It was going to the making of the town.  The once busy seaside town of Blackpool was looking forward to the high life once again. 

Blackpool's popularity came in the Victoria era and has suffered a slow and steady downturn in the latter half of last Century.



But the problems were all going to be solved on turn on a card.   Blackpool was to become "The Las Vagas of the North" or so we were told.

The town council put all its eggs in one basket and bid to host the Uk's first  Super Casino.

There really wasn't a plan B for Blackpool.  It was this or nothing for the town.

Then on the 30th of January 2007 came the news that seemed to put the final nail in the coffin of Blackpool, Manchester was to host the Super Casino, not the seaside town.
The news was hard to take for the Fylde Coast.

How would Blackpool survive this?  

10 year to the day that the news broke, BBC Radio Lancashire spent the whole day on the Prom looking at what has happened since the decision.

A super casino never did come to the Fylde but the town has been on something of a journey.  To stand on the seafront now and look back over the 10 years you would see 1000's of pounds of investment.

Blackpool's Comedy Carpet

The investment that saw a new look Prom, new trams and new tram stops.  The money brought in new investors like Merlin who own the Town as well as other attractions in the town.

It also made new attractions like the Comedy Carpet where BBC Radio Lancashire spent the day.

All in all the fact that Blackpool didn't get the super Casino could have been the making of the town.   We will never know but Plan B, the plan that we didn't have, has worked for Blackpool.  Manchester never did get a Super Casino either.



Also, see More at adrianchenery.co.uk