Government should commit to ‘levelling-up’ – and start with Blackpool

Housing is the biggest driver of deprivation in Blackpool – but it is also a key part of the solution. The government has talked often about its desire to ‘level-up’ underperforming areas across the UK. As a seaside town that relies heavily on tourism and the hospitality sector to support the local economy, Blackpool has a unique set of challenges which local businesses and the council are working together to solve. But while much work is underway at a local level, Blackpool now needs to see government rhetoric turn into affirmative action. Money is not the definitive solution – what is needed is a strategic partnership to support our town to reach its full potential. Blackpool has a number of challenges when it comes to the provision of housing, not least having to abide by national policies that don’t work as intended in Blackpool. This results in rogue landlords seizing on cheaper property prices – often former B&Bs – to turn into homes of multiple occupancy which often do not meet required standards.  In fact, by a perverse twist of the benefit system, landlords in Blackpool can get 100% of a very profitable rent covered in full by Housing Benefit and Universal Credit because DWP will pay the same rent for a flat whether in terrible or excellent condition. This attracts rogue landlords and agents, who take advantage of some of the most vulnerable people in society and effectively create slums which become hotbeds for anti-social behaviour and crime. Combine this with a transient population, and this is an issue that is difficult to contain. Blackpool, however, has its own plans to tackle these issues locally and is leading by example. The Queen’s Park housing estate is one such example. The once rundown tower blocks have been replaced by a well-designed development that is a stark contrast to the buildings that came before it. As well as construction apprenticeship opportunities, in conjunction with Blackpool Build Up and Constructing the Future Lancashire, the scheme also provided jobs and training placements for local unemployed people, delivering wider benefits to the community too. The lesson learnt from this is that it is absolutely vital we approach the challenges in Blackpool holistically. While we welcome funding from government for specific projects in Blackpool, what we really want is its strategic guidance and support to deliver our wider vision for the area. We know that poor housing impacts on so many other areas, so it is right to deal with these challenges in the round. It’s just not enough to fund individual housing projects with a sticking-plaster effect. We must instead deliver a town-wide strategy to really make a lasting impact. Blackpool Housing Company is challenging the dominance of existing poor standard small rented flats with a property portfolio that is affordable, fresh and offers a mix of homes for all local residents and family sizes. The evidence shows that access to a quality rented home is enabling hundreds of individuals and families to settle their lives in a very positive way. This, in turn, reduces demand on other council services. There are brilliant opportunities coming to Blackpool – which will see the first five-star hotel open its doors ready for summer 2021 and businesses relocating due to the high speed and low latency of the new sub-sea transatlantic cable, which provides vastly improved capacity of ultra-fast connection times to New York. My plea to policymakers is not to jump to quick solutions to fix the complex issues the town faces, especially when it comes to housing. Placemaking isn’t just for new green fields where not a brick has yet been built – it also applies to towns which need significant investment and government support to realise their full potential. If the government truly wants to level up, it needs to start with Blackpool.  Andy Charles is partnership manager at Blackpool Pride of Place  Image © Gregg Wolstenholme/Bav Media/Shutterstock