Council responds to online rumours surrounding new town centre car park’

Wednesday, 15 October 2025 12:24

By Richard Hunt

An online joke about a new car park earmarked for Blackpool sparked a debate online about whether more were needed in the town.

The post appeared on a social media site and depicted a sign stating the new car park was ‘openining soon’ at the junction of Queen Street and Abingdon Street.

The site was close to where the road was cordoned off after the recent fire at the derelict Carlton House Hotel.

The mocked up photo showed the road blocked off and the sign in front.

Although the post started as a joke it then led to a discussion about parking spaces in the resort.

Blackpool Council said there were no serious plans to site a car park in the vicinity, despite questions remaining over what will become of the fire-ravaged hotel site.

One member of the social chat site posted: “We don’t need more car parks we need affordable housing that’s not nearly a grand a month for a one bed flat.”

Bur another said a car park was a “very good thing. Need more in Blackpool.”, while another said Blackpool was bad for parking and another said they’d have to ask the owners of the hotel.

Emergency services were called to the derelict hotel shortly after 4.26pm on Saturday (September 27), while police vehicles blocked nearby roads to keep people away from the scene.

To teenage boys were questioned on suspicion of causing arson with intent and have been bailed pending further enquiries.