Blackpool's former police station - a towering eyesore since its closure seven years ago - is finally being demolished.
The dismantling of the old Bonny Street base kicked off on Monday, July 8, with a long-reach excavator starting to break down the colossal concrete structure.
In 2018, the police force moved over two miles away to a modern facility on Gerry Richardson Way, off Clifton Road in Marton.
Bonny Street Police Station has been one of Blackpool's most recognisable public edifices, known for its brutalist architecture. Constructed in the late 1960s, the station was part of a larger development that incorporated a magistrates' court.
The graffiti-ridden Magistrates' Court building and the Chapel Street car park. have already been razed. Demolition work on the police station is slated for completion by the end of this month.
In their place will rise the much-anticipated £300m Blackpool Central Scheme, a project aiming to transform the former Blackpool Central Railway Station site into a world-class tourist attraction and leisure hotspot.
The project is designed to give the local economy a shot in the arm by creating jobs and drawing in more visitors. The grand plan includes indoor theme parks, a spacious public square, hotels and restaurants.
A multi-storey car park was already unveiled earlier this year.
The plans suffered a blow in October 2024 when Nikal, the developer behind the ambitious venture, unexpectedly collapsed. Despite this setback, Blackpool Council remains optimistic about attracting fresh investment for the scheme.
Planning permission is still in place for a new £40m courthouse at the junction of Talbot Road and Devonshire Road, which was slated for completion by 2026. But this project too has been dogged by delays after contractor ISG fell into administration in 2024.
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