Empty shops, culture and coffee

According to the Local Data Company, Blackpool is second in another highly prestigious league table. The who's got the emptiest shops premier league, just behind Derby. They pipped us to the title by 0.08% (21.8% to 21%.) But there's not much Blackpool Council can do though is there? 

Yes actually they could do alot. I could give them ten ideas a day for bringing shops back to life for peanuts. In fact I already have given them one at a high level. An idea involving young people, employment opportunities, other funders and it isn't a poundshop. You might even call it cultural... taking Blackpool away from it's low rent crappy drunk tripper image. I spoke for months to people at the council but despite them all genuinely meaning well I got nowhere. I got the impression they didn't understand what a social enterprise and council partnership on such things could achieve. Frustratingly, this was a council owned building which still sits empty after 2 or more years.  

I put alot of my spare time (I work for a living elsewhere) into trying to secure this shop. I emailed, had meetings, walked round it, spoke on the phone with lots of different people and in the end. Nothing. Part of the purpose of this blog is to open a debate again with these people and to get them to really talk to social entrepreneurs. 

I will come to the Southpoint facility proposed for the Palatine Campus over the coming weeks but there's a great deal of money going to be spent by a council with a poor record on building sustainable developments. Yet they don't really engage with social enterprises properly. Sure you can go to the meetings and consult. You can spend hours wading through the reports they write but this IS NOT how you create sustainability and get Blackpool out of the basket-case culture that pervades. Councils don't DO business. They can't. That is not a criticism but it is a fact. Sadly they think they can which leaves us the council tax payers often with a large bill, a white elephant then some nice new shiney council offices. 

Stanley Park Cafe is another one. I contact the person responsible to suggest SPACE takes it over once the court case with the ex tenants is done and get fobbed off... again in this blog I will detail any progress I make on that too. At the moment I understand the council are running it. But what are their plans? Is it worth putting the effort in trying to negotiate a lease to find they think they can run it better?

If you're interested in any of these ramblings then get in touch with me please as it may be you are the councillor, officer or bigwig I need to get this stuff happening now. 


There are people in the public sector in Blackpool who are getting it and I want to encourage them to work with me and others to make Blackpool not the bullshit Social Enterprise town but the REAL one. Blackpool's history is full of entrepreneurial spirit and that is still there if the right conditions are in place. So come on Blackpool Council pull yer finger out! 

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