Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire in the North West of England. It is situated along England’s west coast by the Irish Sea. Blackpool has a population of 142,900, making it the fourth most densely populated borough of England and Wales outside Greater London.
The Blackpool Urban Area extends beyond the statutory boundaries of Blackpool to encompass Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Thornton, Poulton-le-Fylde and Lytham St Anne’s.
Blackpool rose to prominence as a major centre of tourism in England when a railway was built in the 1840s connecting it to the industrialised regions of northern England. The railway made it much easier and cheaper for visitors to reach Blackpool. Visitors were attracted to Blackpool’s sandy beaches.
Blackpool Tower opened in 1894 and being 158 m in height it is a dominant landmark of the Blackpool skyline. Blackpool Tower was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Beneath the tower is the world famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Blackpool’s economy remains firmly rooted in the tourism sector, and the seafront continues to attract millions of visitors every year.
A £285m regeneration project titled Talbot Gateway will transform the area around Blackpool North railway station into what Blackpool Council hope will be a world class gateway with new office and retail space as well as a public square. The development would be ‘wrapped’ around Blackpool North railway station so that rail passengers arrive at street level into the new plaza with views down onto the seafront, making their arrival into Blackpool a much more pleasant experience.