By Ludo Pittie

The regeneration within Blackpool’s Central Housing Regeneration Area represents much more than the replacement of ageing housing stock. It’s an ambitious programme to build an entirely new neighbourhood that addresses high levels of deprivation while creating an area that’s greener, healthier and better connected.

Led by a multi-disciplinary team from WSP with property support from Cushman & Wakefield, project management by Ryder Levett Bucknall and architecture by Levitt Bernstein, the project team has worked closely with Blackpool Council and its delivery agent, Blackpool Housing Company, to develop a vision for the regeneration of this central part of the town’s inner area.

Building on the Blackpool Central Housing Regeneration Area Framework, that vision has been translated into a spatial strategy and hybrid planning application for the first phase of development, laying the foundations for wider regeneration.

A place-based strategy

Rather than approaching regeneration as a series of individual development sites, the proposals have been shaped through a comprehensive placemaking strategy. New homes are integrated with high-quality public spaces, enhanced community infrastructure, green infrastructure, improved pedestrian connections and a network of play streets that encourage healthier, more active lifestyles. Together, these elements create the framework for a neighbourhood designed not simply to accommodate people, but to help communities flourish.

A key objective has been to create a more permeable neighbourhood that promotes active travel and healthy lifestyles. Although the existing street network follows Blackpool’s traditional grid system, movement is often interrupted by dead ends, oversized blocks and poor connections to surrounding communities.

The proposed layout introduces a more legible network of streets and pedestrian routes, improving access to Central Drive and Revoe Library, as well as local schools, community facilities and future phases of regeneration. These enhanced connections encourage walking as the most convenient choice for everyday journeys while helping to reconnect communities that have become fragmented over time.

The proposals also introduce a network of green play streets that redefine the role of residential streets within the neighbourhood. Rather than being designed primarily for vehicle movement, these spaces are intended to support everyday life, creating safe environments where children can play close to home, neighbours can meet and informal recreation becomes part of daily living. By embedding opportunities for play within the street network itself, the development promotes healthier lifestyles while fostering stronger community interaction.

Complementing the play streets is a series of new public spaces that provide destinations throughout the neighbourhood. These range from neighbourhood greens and informal recreation spaces to civic areas capable of hosting community events and seasonal activities. Together they create a sequence of connected places that encourage residents to spend time outdoors, strengthen community cohesion and establish a distinctive identity for the new neighbourhood.

A new local identity

Running through the development is a comprehensive green infrastructure strategy. New tree planting, biodiverse landscapes, sustainable drainage systems and green corridors are integrated into the masterplan from the outset, creating a landscape that delivers environmental, ecological and social benefits. As well as increasing biodiversity and improving climate resilience, this green network provides attractive walking routes, enhances public spaces and contributes to the overall character of the neighbourhood.
The architectural approach is equally rooted in local identity. Rather than replicating historic buildings, the design draws inspiration from the rhythm, proportions and materials that characterise the surrounding Victorian streets, responding to important heritage assets and reinforcing views towards Blackpool Tower. This creates a contemporary neighbourhood that acknowledges its context while providing homes that meet modern standards of quality, sustainability and accessibility.

The project is particularly significant because it’s not conceived as an isolated development, but planned as the catalyst for a much wider programme of regeneration, establishing a robust framework that future phases can build upon. Every new street, public space and landscape intervention has been designed not only to serve its residents, but to support the long-term transformation of Blackpool’s Inner Area.

This evolution from strategic framework to deliverable planning application demonstrates the value of design-led regeneration. By combining thoughtful urban design, high-quality architecture, active travel, green infrastructure and community-focused placemaking, the proposals show how housing-led regeneration can create much more than new homes. They create the conditions for healthier lifestyles, stronger communities and renewed confidence in one of Blackpool’s key neighbourhoods.

• For more information about the Blackpool regeneration project, click here.

• Ludo Pittie is director landscape advisory at WSP UK