Thorpe Mid

Thorpe Mid

Public Ownership Of Blackpool Tower

The local council in Blackpool has organised Merlin Entertainments, global visitor attractions operator, to manage the operations and redevelopment of the Blackpool Tower complex and Louis Tussauds Waxworks when it formally takes over the organisations in autumn 2010. In an ambitious step, the Council has concluded the purchase of the Winter Gardens, the Golden Mile Centre, Louis Tussauds and Blackpool Tower structures. The purchases have been made possible following winning bids for European and Government funding and £10m from the Council's own funds. As part of the deal, the Winter Gardens will be operated alongside Blackpool's three landmark Piers by Crown Leisure.

Blackpool is convinced that this is a wonderful deal securing long-term investment in the resort and is the culmination of several weeks of negotiations. The Council is ambitious for Blackpool and Merlin is completely the right choice. Merlin is a worldwide company and the biggest entertainment name in Europe and the UK, and they will bring a few of the most iconic attractions in the world to Blackpool. Merlin's existing UK portfolio comprises the Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park, the Dungeons, Blackpool Sealife, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND and the London Eye. The company also operates the world's leading aquarium brand - SEA LIFE, including Blackpool Promenade successful attraction.

The plans shape part of the Council's vision to create an interesting, world class leisure destination for the future and Merlin's expertise and brand names are seen as key to accomplishing this. As part of the deal, Merlin will not only bring a thrilling new Dungeon visitor attraction to the Blackpool Tower; but also utilize its knowledge in operating the world famous London Eye to expand the present observation platform at the top of the Tower into an exciting new 'Eye' branded experience, including a 4D cinema preview show. Also, the current Louis Tussauds wax attraction will be developed into another UK Madame Tussauds, with all the interactivity and high quality figures associated with this unique brand name. As a listed building, the current repair programme for Blackpool Tower itself will continue; and the famous Ballroom and Circus will be retained and are expected to be in huge demand in the future to host a programme of interesting new events.

These investment plans may possibly attract an additional eight hundred thousand tourists every year generating up to £55m more spend right across the resort. Improvements to the conference amenities at the Winter Gardens, residence to the Opera House, are additionally planned which endeavor to achieve a mid-tier conferencing resource designed to attract extra business tourism visits and events to the town pulling in an estimated two hundred and fify thousand visitors. This is a really innovative and ground breaking initiative by Blackpool Council, and a gauge of just how seriously they take the future rejuvenation of the resort. From 2011, no other UK centre other than London will be able to offer guests such a unique and broad  selection of global attraction brands. This will help take what is already one of the best loved and iconic seaside destinations in Europe into the premier league.

Merlin have a long term connection with the town through SEA LIFE, and the Tower complex offers a really interesting and unique location for quite a few of their internationally renowned attraction brands. Given their experience to date, and the Council's exciting regeneration strategy, they consider that this collaboration will offer significant commercial advantages for both Blackpool and Merlin; however most notably genuine benefits for future visitors to the town. This is a daring but essential initiative which offers the finest potential system for strengthening the destination role of the town.  This will result in a significant increase in employment and visitor numbers and will weld together all the other valuable  projects and programmes which are planned to make Blackpool an appealing location to reside, visit and make investments.

Hotel owners and small businesses in Blackpool have hailed the deal saying it will no doubt put Blackpool back in the tourism limelight for people from all over Britain. This is a tremendous opportunity for the resort to truly harvest the benefits from acquiring such key brand names working in the region. The deal will see Merlin advertise the Blackpool attractions across the UK and in Europe helping to raise Blackpool's profile as a visitor destination.

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Billy Thorpe - It's Almost Summer (1975)

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