Blackpool Tower is set for a major change to display unseen parts of seaside attraction

Blackpool Tower is to have its lighting replaced, which will help display the popular attraction to its fullest potential. Plans to install LED lighting strips at the seaside fixture have been given approval.

Listed building consent has been approved for the scheme to remove bulbs on the crow’s nest of the Grade I listed landmark and install new LED lights in their place. Recent surveys of the Tower, which is owned by Blackpool Council, have found non-original thin steel plates used for lighting strips are badly corroded.

Seven lighting strips have already been removed, but the remainder now need to be taken off using specialist equipment in order to minimise the risk of damage. They would be replaced with new fittings, each holding an LED lighting unit. The current lights also obscure some of the decorative detail of the steelwork.

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No objections were received to the proposals from heritage guardians including Blackpool Civic Trust and the Victorian Society who were both consulted. A council report confirming the decision to approve the work says measures will be taken to protect the fabric of the Tower while the lights are upgraded.

It says work “would be carried out by using a reciprocating saw to carefully cut through the welded connection points and leave the supporting structure smooth and flush. The work will be carried out by operatives experienced in the use of the specific tools involved, and in similar conditions, in order to minimise the risk of damage to adjacent surfaces.”

Once the new lights are in place, they are expected to improve the overall lighting display on the Tower.