Blackpool businessman Stephen Sharples is calling for improvements to the town's shopping centre, saying it could offer a stronger visitor experience in its own right. He believes Blackpool would be a worthy winner of the 2029 City of Culture, given the many attractions it has to offer.
Concerns over closed shops
Mr Sharples, a married father-of-five aged 37 who has lived in the town all his life, was moved to comment after seeing more shops close on Bank Hey Street, including Essentials, the business which replaced WH Smith. He spent many years installing security and CCTV systems across the Fylde coast.
He said: "A few years back, Bank Hey Street was one of the key areas of the town centre, so to see some of these big units lying empty is such a shame. I know many towns have shopping centres that struggle, especially with the shift towards online shopping – and I know the cost of living doesn't help."
Call for lower rents and more independent shops
Mr Sharples would like to see more incentives for independent businesses, such as lower rents on properties, and interested parties, including Blackpool Council, working together to attract enterprises. He said: "With so many businesses closing, I believe the overheads are too much and that makes it difficult for people to make a living. The cost of rents needs to be looked at and discussed. Having an empty shop unit serves no one, better to charge less for rent and have it occupied."
He added: "People want a busy, safe shopping centre with good individual shops, not necessarily loads of chains. I think there is a real opportunity for Blackpool to move forward and parties to work towards a shopping centre that pulls people in and adds to the visitor experience – after all, with all these visitors, we've got a captive audience."
Talbot Gateway project
With the Council's ambitious, multi-million Talbot Gateway project bringing thousands of students, MoD workers and civil servants into the town centre, the town is dramatically changing. Blackpool, the UK's top seaside resort, regularly draws in around 23 million visitors a year.
Mr Sharples said: "I honestly believe that people would prefer to shop in a town centre than just buy online, providing there was a reason to do it – if the right mix of shops was there, and enough of them. Shopping online is not really fun, it's just convenient. Shoppers would return to the high street if the shops are there, I have seen it happen in other towns with great shops."
Blackpool Council was approached for its take on the town centre.
