Blackpool has been given £20m in funding towards exploring the construction of Lancashire’s first arena – in an apparent contradiction of advice given to Preston earlier this year.
Chris Webb, the Labour MP for Blackpool South, confirmed on Monday (29 June) that the government, through the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, has committed £20m to fund assessing whether the construction of an arena in Blackpool would work.
The arena, if it goes ahead, would become the centrepiece of the town’s Blackpool Central regeneration project and provide major concerts, comedy and other live entertainment through the year – along with all the associated economic and social benefits.
Read more: Preston band revives England football song 22 years after its radio debut
But Webb was not the only MP to write to Lisa Nandy requesting support regarding a venue in Lancashire.
In April, Preston MP Sir Mark Hendrick and Ribble Valley MP Maya Ellis, along with others, wrote to her to request economic support to either repair or rebuild Preston Guild Hall after Blog Preston launched its petition calling for them.
In response, Ian Murray MP, who is Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts said that funding would need to come from Arts Council England rather than the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Blog Preston asked the Department for Culture, Media and Sport what differences there were between the Preston and Blackpool projects and whether there was a contradiction in the guidance given to Preston compared to the funding for Blackpool. We did not receive a response in time for publication.
Guild Hall has been mothballed since 2019 and leaves the city without a major full-time venue. As a point of comparison, Blackpool has various venues, most notably the historic Winter Gardens.
Preston City Council has been exploring a ‘twin-track’ approach to the Guild Hall problem, exploring both the idea of rebuilding or repairing the venue in time for the 2032 Preston Guild celebrations. The authority is already paying for its own feasibility studies – the same work the government is now funding for Blackpool.
And bosses at town hall in Preston say that it is a positive development and that there is enough demand in the county to support two large venues.
Cllr Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council said: “Without knowing the full details behind the funding arrangement, this is a positive announcement for Blackpool and for Lancashire, as there is definitely room in the County to support two large venues, each catering for different crowd sizes, genres, events and audiences.
“We continue to lobby Central Government and explore funding avenues as part of our own feasibility study for a new venue in Preston and/or reuse of the Guild Hall.”
