Plans to revamp long-term empty town centre shop given green light

An empty former charity shop premises in Blackpool town centre which was beginning to look run down is to be given a shopfront revamp.

An application was submitted to Blackpool Council for the former LGBT Charity UK store at 100-102 Talbot Road has now been approved.

The property has been empy for the past two years.

The proposals were for the installation of a new shop front and the provision of a separate entrance to its existing upper floor flat.

Although similar to Blackpool’s Quality Corridors project, a town centre upgrade scheme which is primarily funded by a £7 million government grant through the Lancashire enterprise partnership’s Growth Deal and additional funds from Blackpool Council, this scheme is not part of that enterprise.

But the property is just the latest in the town centre t be given a welcome revamp.

The 137 square metre site is currently entirely vacant, including the retail unit on the ground floor and the self-contained residential flat which takes up both the first and second floor.

This application suggests the former charity store is getting prepared for a new tenant to take over the unit.

The planning documents however do not provide any clue as to whether a tenant has been secured, with the application form stating there are no proposed changes to the number of employees on the site or the hours of opening.

Plan drawings also show the exterior of the retail unit to be stripped of any previous business signage- instead being painted a plain grey – although a point is made that images are for illustrative purposes only as the final colour scheme is yet to be confirmed by the client.

A Heritage Statement said: “The significance of the site lies primarily in: Its contribution to the historic commercial character of Talbot Road.

“The presence of a traditional-style shopfront, which reflects historic patterns of development Its role in maintaining the architectural coherence of the conservation area The building’s significance is group value–based, rather than deriving from exceptional individual architectural features.”

A delegated report from the planning officer concluded: “On balance, the scheme is considered to improve the appearance of the property within the streetscene and Conservation Area and would make a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness.”