Conference centre and homes agreed

Plans for a £25m conference centre in Blackpool have been approved by planners.Councillors granted the outline application to build a complex on the side of the Winter Gardens on Leopold Grove when the council’s planning committee met on Tuesday. Town hall chiefs are now waiting to hear if the Government will fund £18m of the ambitious project through the Growth Deal. One of the main political parties has already been in touch with the council inquiring about bringing its conference to the Winter Gardens in 2019. The extension would link into the existing Grade II-listed Winter Gardens buildings and have exhibition space, a large conference room, loading bays and storage areas. At the same meeting councillors also approved a new housing development in Marton. Detailed proposals to build 22 homes on the site of the former Baguleys Garden Centre on Midgeland Road were given the go-ahead.The site already has outline planning permission for 36 homes. The committee also approved the demolition of a former hotel on Banks Street to be replaced with a four storey building containing two flats and two maisonettes, and the construction of four semi-detached houses on land at Bispham Road providing access to the site is clarified. However an application by budget retailer Lidl for the demolition of a house on Anchorsholme Lane West and the formation of 10 additional supermarket car parking spaces was withdrawn at the last minute.