Blackpool "Deaths of despair"

[Blackpool Rock]

Just read this article about deaths from alcohol; drugs and suicide which are collectively known as deaths of despair, apparently Blackpool has the highest rate in the UK   

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[scutty brown]

Comes hand-in-hand with being one of (if not the) most deprived areas in the UK, and also one of the highest drug use areas.

[Thephoenix]

Unfortunately it seems to be prevalent in all the old Victorian seaside resorts.
Weston Super Mare have similar problems and also Rhyl in North Wales.
Unfortunately Blackpool is so much bigger so the problem is magnified.

[ShadowProclamation]

I remember the police program, in Blackpool, a few years ago. I can't remember which channel it was on.

[badsin]

Unfortunately it seems to be prevalent in all the old Victorian seaside resorts.
Weston Super Mare have similar problems and also Rhyl in North Wales.
Unfortunately Blackpool is so much bigger so the problem is magnified.

Agreed.
There's some YouTube channels that purely look at the decay in British town and cities, alot of which is the coastal resort's.

Years ago, in the 1990's I know that many homeless folks were shipped off to various coastal resorts, to be housed in B&B accommodation.
Never dealt with the cause , just moved them along to become somebody else's problem.

[Adoniron]

Used to go to Blackpool when I was a child and loved it. Went with work a couple of years ago, first time for over 30 years, and found a desolate, depressing dump. Many seaside towns are run down but it was particularly bad. I'm not surprised people who have to live in places like that take drugs.

[george r]

we went a few times as kids as it as always packed with people ,
many millions has been spent there by visitors over the yrs but not much reinvested 

[Blackpool Rock]

Agreed.
There's some YouTube channels that purely look at the decay in British town and cities, alot of which is the coastal resort's.

Years ago, in the 1990's I know that many homeless folks were shipped off to various coastal resorts, to be housed in B&B accommodation.
Never dealt with the cause , just moved them along to become somebody else's problem.

Someone I worked with also said Blackpool (and other seaside towns) attracted so many people that weren't originally from the area as a destination to go to so they could "get away" from wherever they were or the life / trouble that they had where they were.

His theory which may or may not be right was that a lot of people visit Blackpool as children on family holidays / day trips etc and remember it being a great place as they had a good time however -
A family outing when you are 10 and getting bought ice cream and playing on the beach etc isn't the same as being in some shitty accommodation mid winter with drug addicts in half the other rooms in the same building.
People who may have left XYZ to get away from drink / drugs and the type of people they previously mixed with are then suddenly put back into the same environment rubbing shoulders with scumbags  History has a habit of repeating itself and people get drawn back into old habits

Blackpool not only attracts people from all over the NW but they also come from Yorkshire; the Midlands and down from Scotland so a big catchment area and that's a lot of people with potential issues

[Blackpool Rock]

Used to go to Blackpool when I was a child and loved it. Went with work a couple of years ago, first time for over 30 years, and found a desolate, depressing dump. Many seaside towns are run down but it was particularly bad. I'm not surprised people who have to live in places like that take drugs.

I'd say it's better now than it was 10 or 15 years ago, there was a massive lack of investment and people were talking 20 years ago about needing the "Super casino" which was supposed to bring money in and redevelop the area, in the end Manchester got the Casino but the whole project then got scrapped anyway but suddenly money was spent on the front at least

[badsin]

Someone I worked with also said Blackpool (and other seaside towns) attracted so many people that weren't originally from the area as a destination to go to so they could "get away" from wherever they were or the life / trouble that they had where they were.

His theory which may or may not be right was that a lot of people visit Blackpool as children on family holidays / day trips etc and remember it being a great place as they had a good time however -
A family outing when you are 10 and getting bought ice cream and playing on the beach etc isn't the same as being in some shitty accommodation mid winter with drug addicts in half the other rooms in the same building.
People who may have left XYZ to get away from drink / drugs and the type of people they previously mixed with are then suddenly put back into the same environment rubbing shoulders with scumbags  History has a habit of repeating itself and people get drawn back into old habits

Blackpool not only attracts people from all over the NW but they also come from Yorkshire; the Midlands and down from Scotland so a big catchment area and that's a lot of people with potential issues

My dad used to say, where would you prefer to on the dole, Birmingham/Manchester/Glasgow etc...... I don't think he quite appreciated the drink, drugs and associated antisocial behaviour that went with it.
One of the graveyards at the resort my folks lived at, is teaming with white crosses marking graves, essentially pauper's graves.

[Thephoenix]

Cheap package holidays abroad obviously affected the British seaside resorts, but I'll always have a soft spot for the old town.
As  child we couldn't afford a holiday but it was still exciting going on a day trip on the old Ribble charabancs from Liverpool in the 50s.

Everyone singing on the way home with a stop at the 'Half Way House' on the way back for the men to down their last few pints.

Then as a teenager in the magnificent Tower Ballroom perfecting my dancing skills on the fabulous sprung floor, with Reginald Dixon performing on the famous Wurlitzer organ.

Then taking my young family enjoying a different show every night in the theatres, the animal performing in The Tower Circus, and any money left at the end of the week spent in The Pleasure Beach.
Sharing the excitement of the illuminations with a new generation.

Then grandchildren, and great grandchildren following in the footsteps.

Like all the old resorts it can be very dismal in the Winter, but I wouldn't write the old girl off yet.
There has been big improvements along the prom prom prom, as the brass band plays tiddly om pompom, and the wonderful gems of the remaining ballrooms and theatres still draw visitors.
It will never claim to be the centre of live entertainment it once was in the days when audiences exceeded those in The West End, but hopefully it will continue to adapt and attract the future generations of holiday makers.


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[mr.bluesky]

I'd say it's better now than it was 10 or 15 years ago, there was a massive lack of investment and people were talking 20 years ago about needing the "Super casino" which was supposed to bring money in and redevelop the area, in the end Manchester got the Casino but the whole project then got scrapped anyway but suddenly money was spent on the front at least

What about Blackpool illuminations, do people still visit the place in large numbers to see this 

[Blackpool Rock]

What about Blackpool illuminations, do people still visit the place in large numbers to see this 

Apparently more visitors when the illuminations are on than in the middle of the summer, they have extended them from late Oct / early Nov to just after the new year since 2020

How much people actually spend in the resort i'm not sure as you can simply drive through them without spending anything or park up and walk around a bit then jump back in the car and off you go

Also as posted above people may spend money but i'd wager it's the same few big business owners who simply pocket most of the cash without pumping much back into regeneration 

[scutty brown]

............... people may spend money but i'd wager it's the same few big business owners who simply pocket most of the cash without pumping much back into regeneration 

And therein lies the problem: no real manufacturing industry within the town.
So much of Blackpool's economy depends on holiday-economy minimum-wage zero-time contracts during three months of the year. It's a problem that goes back generations with so much of the towns population descended from itinerant Romany, Irish and traveling Showmen. A few made it big through land deals, the rest being forced to work on subsistence pay. With the post-Beeching paradigm shift to holidaying overseas rather than in the UK, Blackpool has a glut of old poorly maintained boarding houses, easily converted by Rachman inspired landlords into slums of multiple occupation. Ideal for the benefits-sponsored unwashed, unemployed, and unenployable.

[David1970]

Got to say I have been to Blackpool 3 times, but not for a few years, can’t say I enjoyed it. It seems rundown, nothing of real interest and lots of low life hanging about. It is a depressing place to visit to be honest.

[Blackpool Rock]

Got to say I have been to Blackpool 3 times, but not for a few years, can’t say I enjoyed it. It seems rundown, nothing of real interest and lots of low life hanging about. It is a depressing place to visit to be honest.

Thanks, your comments have cheered me up no end   

[PepeMAGA]

Having the Super casino there would have helped I think. But generally very heavy investment to make it worth a holiday there.

[advent2016]

Even the Blackpool train is high on something

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[mr.bluesky]

I think Blackpool like many British seaside towns, Skegness, Torquay etc suffer with the same problem.  Lack of investment and they haven't moved with the times ever since people started going abroad on cheap package holidays where at least you can almost certainly guarantee sunshine. It's just as expensive to go to a British seaside resort now than going abroad   
These sort of British resorts seem to be happy to cater for senior citizens on coach package holidays and find it harder to attract younger families with Kids. Even the amusement arcades are a rip off .

[JontyR]

The point you make about cost is well made.

There are a number of disparaging comments made about the place, but I think it is remarkable that a relatively small town has such variety of entertainment for so many in such a small place. Despite all the fun that you can have it isn't cheap.

In reference to this thread though it is a miserable place out of season, and its a miserable place to be without money.

[chrishornx]

Got to say I have been to Blackpool 3 times, but not for a few years, can’t say I enjoyed it. It seems rundown, nothing of real interest and lots of low life hanging about. It is a depressing place to visit to be honest.

coincidentally there are far more low life, drugs drunks and general idiots in town in the peak summer months

[Blackpool Rock]

The Prom itself is what most people see and in fairness it's OK but as me and my mates have often commented you only have to go 1 or 2 streets back to see the depressing reality, coincidentally this you tube video just came up in my recommendations and it does sort of hit the nail on the head

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[Colston36]

Just read this article about deaths from alcohol; drugs and suicide which are collectively known as deaths of despair, apparently Blackpool has the highest rate in the UK   

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How desperately sad. A trip to Blackpool was one of the highpoints of my year when young.

[Adoniron]

I'd say it's better now than it was 10 or 15 years ago, there was a massive lack of investment and people were talking 20 years ago about needing the "Super casino" which was supposed to bring money in and redevelop the area, in the end Manchester got the Casino but the whole project then got scrapped anyway but suddenly money was spent on the front at least

Wow it must have been desperate 15-20 years ago.

[ulstersubbie]

I've only been to Blackpool once, back in the early noughties, bloody hell what an experience. The general malaise was palpable, just very depressing. I stayed in a guest house near Bispham, the landlord was a miserable Brummie who lamented the fact that he had ever moved to Blackpool in the first place.   

[RadioKid]

Go there occasionally for work. It's rundown and stuck in the 80s/90s (around about when cheap package holidays abroad became mainstream).

Lack of opportunity aside - large swathes is still dirty, littered, run down and filled with rough apathetic people the closer you get to the Promenade. There's a few nice spots dotted around further away from the Promenade, but overall not a memorable place at all.

[Colston36]

Go there occasionally for work. It's rundown and stuck in the 80s/90s (around about when cheap package holidays abroad became mainstream).

Lack of opportunity aside - large swathes is still dirty, littered, run down and filled with rough apathetic people the closer you get to the Promenade. There's a few nice spots dotted around further away from the Promenade, but overall not a memorable place at all.

Blackpool is not untypical though worse than most. The cause was simple: sunshine, cheap flights and value for money.

In the mid '60s  people discovered  they could fly to the sun and get more for their money somewhere like the Costa Brava than Blackpool or Torquay could ever offer.

Ironically British slobs have made themselves so unpopular in Spain that resorts are trying to discourage them and they are going further to cheaper places like Bulgaria.

[Jumping Jack Flash]

I’ve been to many large seaside towns over the last 10 years and many have been reinvigorated. Torquay and Weston Super Mare stand out as examples of where money has been invested and the benefits of that investment are clear. They’re not perfect, far from it but they are no longer the run down places of twenty years ago.

Blackpool must rake in an awful lot of money into the local economy and council coffers but this does not seem to have been reinvested into the local area. I was last there in September and it’s been left trailing behind other resorts. It needs a lot of investment and a little bit of reinvention.

[Doc Holliday]

This isn't entirely about money, but the sheer scale of a problem which was allowed to develop since the 60s. Much of this problem has already been touched upon.

Blackpool with a population of circa 140,000 is the largest town in Lancashire and ranks around 50 nationally. It has one of the highest density population housing areas outside of London and because of the way Blackpool developed both in its heyday and since, much of this is concentrated in the area immediately behind the central areas of the promenade.

The promenade itself is now quite a pleasant experience (less so for drivers at times) although it does maintain its traditional Blackpool element and which it rightly should. It is a unique attraction which generates much income to the town, but visitors will also see the areas slightly inland which is where the neglect and deprivation is pronounced. They do not tend to see what is a little further beyond this deprived area and Blackpool has many desirable areas to live with good communities, as with any town.


"Blackpool faces unique and extreme challenges which are rooted in the Blackpool’s changing fortunes as the UK’s largest seaside holiday resort.

Traditionally, the holiday accommodation offer in Blackpool largely took the form of small, family-run guest-houses. Changes in visitor expectations starting in the 1960s led many operators to convert their properties into small, but self-contained, holiday flats. As these conversion works were internal, and as the holiday use of the property continued, these changes went undetected by the Council and subsequently became lawful through the passage of time, without any restrictions on occupancy.

More than three decades of decline in the tourism economy starting in the later 1970s saw many former guest-house and holiday premises used to provide permanent accommodation. In many cases this was a gradual change as operators took in more winter-lets and allowed more residents to stay on through the season to supplement their holiday income. Thus holiday flats became permanent flats and guest-houses became HMOs. Again, these uses became lawful through the passage of time. While the former guest-house and holiday flat owners continued to live on site, these premises were generally well-managed, and the accommodation, though small, was well-maintained in many cases.

As years passed and the decline of the tourism economy continued, former holiday accommodation premises were increasingly bought up by out-of-town investors who had no stake in or commitment to the Blackpool community. Accommodation became dated and fell into poor condition, and there was much reduced impetus for remote landlords to vet prospective tenants or manage properties with care.

By the 1990s the extent of the problems were becoming very apparent and this is reflected by the Council’s introduction of standards in 1999 to try and improve the quality of new residential accommodation created through conversion. By then, however, the housing stock of the defined Inner Areas was already overwhelmingly dominated by small, privately-rented, poor-quality and poorly managed accommodation. This accommodation attracted those who were not in a position of choice and resulted in a highly transient population often characterised by vulnerable individuals with chaotic lifestyles. Many of these people were from outside the area and this remains the case today as approximately 80% of privately-rented accommodation is occupied by people on housing benefit, and 86% of new claimants originate outside of the borough.

The consequence of this legacy is a skewed and imbalanced housing stock; a marked lack of community cohesion, and extremely high levels of deprivation. The availability of low-cost accommodation continues to make Blackpool attractive to low-income and vulnerable households, and this reinforces the demand for this type of accommodation creating a vicious cycle.

Away from the defined Inner Area, the housing stock is generally of a much better standard and is typically dominated by family housing. Social cohesion in these areas is far more robust and deprivation levels are significantly lower. The Council considers it essential to safeguard the character of these areas to ensure that they remain attractive to those who are in a position of choice and will contribute economically and socially to establishing Blackpool as a sustainable and desirable place to live and work."

The above is taken from this document External Link/Members Only which discusses the challenge in detail. The scale of the problem is such that it would require huge clearance of the zone under discussion which is largely no longer required as tourist accommodation and subsequent redevelopment on an enormous scale, a monumental task both financially and logistically. There has been redevelopment, but it is largely just chipping away at some areas. It is the sheer scale of the problem that distinguishes Blackpool from other traditional seaside towns that have been mentioned.

The above linked document contains a number of maps including the one below which shows areas rated by relative numbers of benefit claimants and which highlights the specific area under discussion.

 

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[scutty brown]

Good piece of analysis.
Unfortunately if you take it at face value the only affordable solution would be compulsory purchase of all that land at the equivalent of "scrap value" (is that even a concept with respect to property?) followed by mass demolition. But then you still have the problem of where do you send the displaced people?

[Blackpool Rock]

Good piece of analysis.
Unfortunately if you take it at face value the only affordable solution would be compulsory purchase of all that land at the equivalent of "scrap value" (is that even a concept with respect to property?) followed by mass demolition. But then you still have the problem of where do you send the displaced people?

Fleetwood 

[chrishornx]

Good piece of analysis.
Unfortunately if you take it at face value the only affordable solution would be compulsory purchase of all that land at the equivalent of "scrap value" (is that even a concept with respect to property?) followed by mass demolition. But then you still have the problem of where do you send the displaced people?

it doesn't take a genius to know the Blackpool problem isn't all about money, in fact far from it there are many contributing factors spanning decades.

how much land would you purchase Scutty? Agree with the idea but how big an area do you cover and how far back inland would you go - topping street or further ?

[Thephoenix]

I'm pleased that the focus hasn't just been on the comparatively small areas where the problems exist.

Further back from the promenade and to the North and South of the town centre there are lovely suburbs with a wide range of desirable properties and independent shops.

It's all the unoccupied, derelict and abandoned properties of failed hotels, guest houses and commercial buildings that make the place so unsightly.

When I was last there I noticed the shops in the centre of town seem to be doing better than many other high streets in Northern towns and cities.

[george r]

it was always worth a visit when nipples Nikiti was working   

[Munter84]

It's rundown and stuck in the 80s/90s

I was in Blackpool for a jolly a couple of years ago and that was the exact impression I took too. It's a place oddly preserved about 30 years in the past.

I have a big soft spot for slightly delapidated places like this, and I took the tram (the most modern addition to the town in years, by the looks of it) end-to-end to take in the sights. Some of it is quaint, some picturesque, some interesting (ah, so that's where Fisherman's Friends are made), some just a bit sad. There's a kind of gaudy, forced cheerfulness about the seafront, but walk precisely one street inland and the facade falls away and it's basically downtown Baghdad.

Would return!

[scutty brown]

it doesn't take a genius to know the Blackpool problem isn't all about money, in fact far from it there are many contributing factors spanning decades.

how much land would you purchase Scutty? Agree with the idea but how big an area do you cover and how far back inland would you go - topping street or further ?

For starters, everything west of Devonshire Rd / Whitegate Drive / Waterloo Rd / Lytham Rd south of the golf course and north of the airfield. Plus parts of Layton and Bispham

[Blackpool Rock]

For starters, everything west of Devonshire Rd / Whitegate Drive / Waterloo Rd / Lytham Rd south of the golf course and north of the airfield. Plus parts of Layton and Bispham

Basically most of it then 

[scutty brown]

Basically most of it then 

[sammathy]

Fleetwood 

Don't you dare!

[Blackpool Rock]

Don't you dare!

Already got enough of them yourselves   

[sir wanksalot]

Due to it's location, Blackpool has always been a seasonal town relying solely on tourism. Unfortunately, it is in the UK so that tourism only spans about 6 months of the year. The town isn't close to any major conurbation, other than Preston.

Foreign holidays with guaranteed sunshine are more affordable and sometimees even cheaper than staying in the UK. Blackpool was always a working man's resort but nowadays that "class" of people are more affluent and can afford better choices.

British culture has changed. Blackpool used to he buzzing during the summer season with comedy acts and variety shows with well known TV starts pitching up for the season and drawing the crowds in. That type of entertainment had died. There's no Cannon & Ball or Krankies style acts anymore.

[scutty brown]

There's no Cannon & Ball or Krankies style acts anymore.

And TFFT

[Doc Holliday]

Due to it's location, Blackpool has always been a seasonal town relying solely on tourism. Unfortunately, it is in the UK so that tourism only spans about 6 months of the year. The town isn't close to any major conurbation, other than Preston.

Foreign holidays with guaranteed sunshine are more affordable and sometimees even cheaper than staying in the UK. Blackpool was always a working man's resort but nowadays that "class" of people are more affluent and can afford better choices.

British culture has changed. Blackpool used to he buzzing during the summer season with comedy acts and variety shows with well known TV starts pitching up for the season and drawing the crowds in. That type of entertainment had died. There's no Cannon & Ball or Krankies style acts anymore.

This is where it gets interesting. Visitor numbers in its heyday reached about 17 million, but dropped post WW2 and then into the sixties onwards for the reasons discussed. In 2000 they had dropped to around 11 million but have now reached record highs again. External Link/Members Only

Of course the overall population is now greater and the type of visitor is different in terms of accommodation requirements and proportion of day trippers etc but despite all the deprivation under discussion it is still thriving as a tourist destination. Local theatres etc continue to do well, but as Scutty says have thank god moved on. It is after all a very large town to support such venues without tourists.

[Doc Holliday]

Fleetwood 

Poulton? 

[Blackpool Rock]

Poulton? 

Poulton is actually quite nice IMO, I prefer a night out in Poulton and there are quite a few decent places to eat if you're doing a few pubs then a meal.
It's far less rowdy and just looking around you can tell the people are perhaps more affluent, better quality clothes / brand names etc

Occasionally someone will suggest going out in Blackpool instead and it's always referred to as "Doing the scum run"

[Doc Holliday]

Poulton is actually quite nice IMO

It is which was why I suggested it ..to annoy the inhabitants 

EDIT I missed putting this link in my previous post External Link/Members Only

[Doc Holliday]

For starters, everything west of Devonshire Rd / Whitegate Drive / Waterloo Rd / Lytham Rd south of the golf course and north of the airfield. Plus parts of Layton and Bispham

That won't mean much to many readers who aren't local and it is perhaps a touch excessive  but nonetheless illustrates the sheer scale of the problem relating specifically to Blackpool.

Of course as soon as you travel south down the Fylde coast to St Annes on Sea and especially Lytham you find coastal towns which also developed as Victorian seaside resorts complete (originally) with piers etc but which (a) were on a much smaller scale and (b) did not cater to the same extent for the huge 'working class' tourist market that Blackpool did.

As a result now not only are they very affluent areas with much higher property prices, but those properties which are closer to the sea generally command a premium. The exact opposite to Blackpool.

If the areas under discussion were redeveloped on a large scale for better housing you would still have the traditional Blackpool attractions on your doorstep and the huge number of associated visitors. The middle and higher end developers are less likely to show interest and it would be reliant on affordable housing which whilst there is a need, is less attractive to developers.

It is a conundrum.

[ulstersubbie]

And TFFT

+1

[chrishornx]

Basically most of it then 

He isn't messing about. we may get a new Bloomfield road stadium out of this. Hope he keeps the Tower

[mr.bluesky]

He isn't messing about. we may get a new Bloomfield road stadium out of this. Hope he keeps the Tower

Hasn't Bloomfield Road stadium already been re developed or at least three quarter's of it. 
Looks quite a tidy stadium now.