News
Blackpool gets creative
Published 15.11.07
Blackpool City Council put their money where their mouth is and invest a hefty sum into building a space devoted soley to the development of creative businesses.
In a joint project between Blackpool City Council and Creative Lancashire, Blackpool will soon boast a brand new hub for creative industries. £500,000 has been invested in the creation of the hub, which is hoped to emulate the success of similar operations currently running in Preston and Blackburn.
The as yet unnamed facility will be located in a former bed and carpet store on Church Street, right in the economic heart of Blackpool. After a full refurbishment programme the hub is set to open in February 2008 and will comprise twelve incubation spaces for new creative businesses and hot desking space along with a café and exhibition area. A creative industries development officer will be on hand to offer advise and information and to broker relations between businesses and mainstream support organisations – making sure that the best is being made of support available.
“We want to develop a real offer for creative, IP driven companies,” says Neil Simpson, the creative industries development officer for Blackpool. “The half a million pound investment from Blackpool City Council represents their commitment to the creative industries. They see the sector as key in the redevelopment of Blackpool and as well as the money have invested time, resources and staffing into working to provide a really strong base on which to build a creative business community.”
The £500,000 investment is part of a £10.4m fund awarded to Blackpool from LEGI (Local Enterprise Growth Initiative) – a government programme aiming to release the economic and productivity potential of local areas across the country.
E: neil.simpson@blackpool.gov.uk
W: www.creativelancashire.org
