Blackpool Winter Gardens: New £30m conference centre opens

A new £30m conference centre inside Blackpool's landmark Winter Gardens has been officially opened by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

He said it was an "honour" to do so during this weekend's Conservative's spring conference at the venue.

It is the party's first major conference at the resort since 2007.

Mr Johnson said: "I hope this will be home to many events for years to come, bringing people together from across the UK in the heart of Blackpool."

Built on the site of a former car park, the centre is the first major development at the Winter Gardens since the Opera House was built in 1939, Blackpool Council said.

It was financed by about £20m of government funding, with the remainder coming from the council and the Blackpool Entertainment Company.

Mr Johnson said the centre was "at the heart of our levelling up agenda", referring to the government's plan to reduce economic inequality in the UK.

Officially opened in 1878, the original Winter Gardens buildings are undergoing a multimillion-pound refurbishment.

Council leader Lynn Williams said: "Major conferences in Blackpool bring thousands of delegates in the town centre, who in turn spend money in our local shops, restaurants and hotels, helping our businesses thrive and allowing them to take on new workers.

"This will be a real game changer for business tourism in Blackpool."

Debbie Francis, chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said she hoped the new centre would "put Blackpool back on the map as one of the UK's premier conference and exhibition destinations".

Following the tourism boost from an extended Blackpool Illuminations last year, the council has already confirmed this year's event will run until January 2023.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the spectacle traditionally shone from September until November.

But recent data shows that more than 17 million people visited the promenade between September and December in 2021, compared to 10 million in the same period in 2019.

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