Latest figures show more shoppers are visiting Blackpool’s Houndshill Shopping Centre where a new department store opened last year.
But calls have been made for a disused entrance to the centre to be re-opened in order to help boost footfall even further.
A report to a meeting of Blackpool Council on Wednesday, September 18 says the latest available figures from July show footfall had increased to 536,000 compared to 510,000 for the same time the previous year.
Figures for the year to date show footfall is 10 per cent ahead of 2023 at nearly 3.4 million, which is also 13 per cent higher than 2022.
The Houndshill has been owned by the council since 2019 when it bought it for £48m. Its anchor store – Debenhams – closed in May 2021, and was replaced with Frasers at the end of 2023, along with its other brands Flannels and Sports Direct.
But Coun Gerard Walsh told the meeting he was disappointed one of two entrances to the shopping centre on Albert Road remained closed.
He said: “As it currently stands the entrance remains closed and the store windows are obscured by large advertising vinyl posters. This does nothing for the existing businesses in the area, and if anything, passers-by may think the store is closed.
“As a landlord of the Houndshill, what can be done to address the issue and increase footfall in the area?”
Coun Ivan Taylor, cabinet member for partnerships and performance, said he would take the issue up to see if there was a possibility of the other entrance being re-opened.
He said: “Footfall is up so the centre is doing well and we should all be very proud. When I go in I think it’s a really lovely shopping centre and I think it’s one of the best in the North West.”
The second phase of the Houndshill Shopping Centre saw the opening of the Backlot Cinema and Diner in March this year following a £21m investment.
Funding included £5m from the government’s Covid-19 Getting Building Fund, with the balance coming from council borrowing, plus a further £6m investment in the fit-out of the building including the IMAX screen.
There's lots of ways you can support our work as The Blackpool Lead, from a one-off donation, to a monthly payment through to shopping for The Lead branded merchandise too. It all helps support our independent, in-depth, journalism.
Our features, investigations and essays are available to subscribers first.
We want to back into journalism. Lend us a hand, and get our weekly newsletter and magazine editions in your inbox, for free.
