01 / 12 / 2018

high-quality new homes

affordable rent apartments

local jobs created

of workforce from local area

new apprenticeships

high-quality new homes

affordable rent apartments

local jobs created

of workforce from local area

new apprenticeships

Project

Queens Park estate, Blackpool

Location

Layton, Blackpool

Dates 

Phase 1: July 2013 – 2015

Phase 2: Completed 2018

Partners 

Blackpool Coastal Housing and Blackpool Council

Value 

£22 million

 

  • Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3

  • Urban regeneration project

  • 191 new homes

  • innovative and contemporary design

  • flexible, future-proofed homes

  • Demolition rubble reused on site

  • 110 local jobs created ­

  • 55% of workforce from local area

Award winning regeneration and new build project in partnership with the Local Authority


After more than 50 years dominating Blackpool’s skyline, the Queens Park estate’s controversial tower blocks have been demolished as part of a £22 million regeneration which has seen the area transform into a modern and attractive place for families to live.

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I’m delighted that [the residents] are able to see for themselves how the redevelopment is transforming the area. It is lovely to see so many happy families in their new homes. We have only been able to reach this point because of the outstanding help and cooperation received from local residents, businesses and the wider community.

Councillor Gillian Campbell,

Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council

Built in the 1960s and early 1970s, the estate’s five towers – the last remaining high-rises in Blackpool – had been described as a “grim monument to Britain’s failed post-war experiment in social housing”. The towers were interspersed with 12 maisonette blocks from the same era and together they dwarfed the more traditional homes which surrounded them.

The ageing blocks were damp, inefficient and expensive to heat, with a reputation for social problems due in part to their lack of family housing. Many of the 500 flats were one-bedroom homes which no longer met the area’s needs and suffered from low demand and a high turnover of residents as a result.

The council appointed Lovell in 2013 to revitalise this rundown estate and create a safer, more family-friendly neighbourhood for the long term, which would also address Queens Park’s issues of anti-social behaviour.

We were chosen following a lengthy three stage tender process, based on our strong track record in estate regeneration and our collaborative approach to working with local authorities. 

We created a bespoke design that responded to their brief, developing it following feedback from the council and our deeper understanding of their requirements.

The Queen’s Park Residents’ Project Group, which formed part of the evaluation team, were invited on a site tour of The Way at Beswick. They were impressed with what we had created there and as a result were happy to support our bid.

To achieve the council’s vision for the estate, they needed some of the new properties to be able to convert from one-bedroom flats to three-bedroom homes, allowing them to house existing residents in the short term while still meeting longer-term housing needs. Our carefully considered designs allowed the homes to be easily converted, future-proofing them at a cost of less than £5,000 each.

Despite the tower’s numerous problems, they were home to hundreds of residents – many of whom had a strong sense of loyalty to their community. Existing council tenants were given the opportunity to move into the new homes and we invited them to a drop-in event where they could share their hopes for the future of Queens Park.

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Build Up – Blackpool and Fylde College – have worked with Lovell over the length of the Queens Park project. They have taken into work 110 local people, which is very commendable, steering the regeneration of our town. We look forward to continuing our working relationship with Lovell and the site management team.

Roberta Austin,

Build Up – Centre Manager

The final tenants to say goodbye to the old estate, Clive and Ann Elmer, were also its longest-standing residents, having moved into their tower block in 1982.

The couple are now settled in their new, secure and energy-efficient home, completed as part of phase one which delivered 22 family houses and 70 flats in two- and three-storey blocks: “We’ve spent over 30 years here and have watched the massive transformation taking place. Although we were sad to be leaving our home, we’re really happy that we’ve been able to move within the new development. We love our new home and are looking forward to making memories and being part of the new community.”

We wanted to leave a lasting economic and social legacy for the estate, so created a range of training and employment opportunities for local people. These included 13 apprenticeships in conjunction with Calico, who also facilitated work experience placements for three local ex-offenders through their initiative with the Probation Service.

 

Working with Blackpool & The Fylde College’s Build Up Initiative – a partnership with Jobcentre Plus designed to get long-term unemployed people back into work – we were able to provide jobs for 110 local people. Over 55% of the development’s workforce lived within the Blackpool area and, following a ‘meet the contractor’ event, three local businesses were also working on the project.

As part of phase two, we delivered a further 99 apartments and houses and incorporate improvements to neighbouring Laycock recreational ground, creating an enhanced public open space to encourage pride in the area and improve the residents’ quality of life. The work includes new trees, pedestrian and cycle paths, along with public artwork and soft and hard landscaping.

The Queens Park project was completed in 2018. Now finished, the revitalised estate offers 103 high-quality contemporary two, three and four-bedroom houses and 88 apartments for affordable rent, all managed by Blackpool Coastal Housing.

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The apprenticeship is giving me the chance to build a full-time career doing something where I’m working with my hands and am outdoors - both things which are important to me. I’m really enjoying working on site, you meet new people all the time and are constantly learning skills. It’s also good to be working on a scheme which is making such a big difference to my local area.

Lee Kirkham ,

Bricklaying apprentice from Blackpool

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