Residents’ objections lead to a multiversity study in Blackpool

A concerned resident says he is struggling to find a new home as a municipality seeks to acquire land for a proposed multiversity, forcing residents to leave the area.

Planning inspector Phillip Ware will oversee an eight-day public inquiry into a compulsory purchase order (CPO) being sought by Blackpool Council to clear land for the project.

The council has already acquired 70% of the site between Cookson Street, Milbourne Street, George Street and Grosvenor Street, but 13 objections have been lodged against the CPO, prompting the public inquiry.

One resident says he had been looking for another home in the city center for “months”, but could not find anything suitable.

The George Street resident, who did not want to be named, said he was very concerned that they were in the CPO area and would have to move.

“We are both disabled, we have a mentally ill child, no one helps us, we are in the dark,” he said.

The man, who has lived in the city center street for 10 years, said: ‘We should be gone in August, the houses are being boarded up, everyone is leaving one by one, we don’t feel safe with empty properties on either side. from us.

‘This is a rental property and the landlord wants us out so he can sell it. He has no interest in us at all, it was just a figure in his head now.’

He said the family had been looking for another home in the city center “for months”.

“We can’t find anything anywhere,” he said. “There’s nothing in our budget and nothing available for what we need.

“We have good memories here, so it’s a shame we have to go.

“We have everything here, we have the dentist here, the doctor there, the child’s school is near here and all the shops.”

Jeweler Andrew Clayton said hearing about the CPO left him “surprised”.

“We were looking at the new building across the road with a lunch shelter and we were looking at redeveloping the property we had,” he said.

The company recently had to move from Cookson Street to Topping Street after 61 years due to multiversity plans.

“I don’t think the council understands how much money it costs to move to another store with security and bespoke displays,” Mr Clayton said. ‘We financed it all ourselves.

“We are closer to the city so we experience more footfall, but there was the benefit of several parking spaces on Cookson Street.”

Nick Gerrard, growth and prosperity manager at the council, recently told a meeting of the tourism, economy and communities oversight committee that the council needed to demonstrate that the CPO was in the public interest and that fair compensation was given to those who were displaced.

Some objections have been withdrawn as property buyout negotiations continue, while the hearing is scheduled to hear evidence from the remaining objectors and the council.

The public inquiry will take place from November 12 to 15 at The Imperial Hotel on the North Promenade.

It is then scheduled to reopen from December 3 to 6, but if all evidence is heard it could close earlier.

The inspector will consider all the evidence before publishing his decision, which is expected to be sometime early this new year.

Citizens can attend the hearing.

If the decision allows the CPO to proceed, it is hoped that work on the project will begin in May or June next year, provided the entire site has been assembled.