Blackpool Pleasure Beach: General Discussion

I choose the not riding it anymore seat. Its a classic ride but its in a woeful state it really is.

Be great if PB had the money to spruce it up as I do love the ride. Its just far too jolty and painful now for me. Ironically though I find Big Dipper a lot smoother. Last season I had about 6 or 7 rides on it I'd say and found it to be riding really well. Don't know if anyone else thought the same.

 

Yup, the structure is listed, not the trains.

 

I could be wrong but wasn’t the park against the woodies getting listed?.

 

Pretty much anyone that owns anything would be against it being listed, it is an expensive pain in the arse.

 

It’s something like 6/7 listed structures in the entire park. You can understand any company having to maintain that many to be a complete hassle.

 

What does being listed actually entail? Could they scrap the ride, but leave the structure and build around it. Have the new station built over Nash's, with glass floors over the tracks, and then just weave the supports as close to the old structure as possible, with access for routine maintenance.

 

Any changes to the structure or its aesthetics would require planning permission. So those things could be possible but would likely to be very difficult to get permission for. It does not compel them to operate it, but it does compel them to maintain it.

 

I would say big problem for this situation you’d have a big structure sticking out like a sore thumb. Unlike the ark where it blends in nicely I doubt a full coaster structure could blend in aswell.

 

Sorry pluk, my two customers who live in listed properties love the prestige of listing!
Tends to add value to residential properties.
When I had to do a tiny patch of lime pointingat one, I followed all the rules, contacted the local listings officer, and didnt hear a thing back, as all the local tradesmen said would happen.
The top 2* listing for Blackburn is one of my gardens, nice photo on wiki!
Edit...
And sorry to nit pick again pluk, but you are forgetting that the Beach is one of the few places that doesnt need planning permission for new rides...they bargained that right when they gave up land for the "new" prom about ninety years ago.
Geek nitpick over.

 

Listing multiple large structures in a park as small as BPB is a horrendous outcome. It will make it that much more difficult for the park to compete and invest. Of course preservation of heritage is important, but the survival of the park long term is more important in my opinion.

 

What I don't understand with listing, is what happens if the park stops operating a listed ride either through choice or necessity.

For example, if the Mouse had been listed and the park had decided that they couldn't/wouldn't operate it - would it still be sat there unused? The listing forbids its removal, but doesn't insist on its operation, right?

 

Yes, that’s what happened at Dreamland. The Scenic Railway was listed in 2002. Soon After the owner/developer stopped operating it, but the ride couldn’t be demolished. Listed doesn’t mean it has to be operated, just that it can’t be demolished or altered without permission. Theoretically it also means that it has to be maintained, but there seem to be quite a few listed buildings on the at risk register, so I’m not sure how easily that’s enforced.

 

Noah's Ark is listed and non-operational (and despite only ever visiting as an adult, I miss it as fun houses are just fun!).

I'm curious if/when we will start seeing steel coasters listed. Do we think the Corkscrew should have been listed? How about the Revolution as UKs first looping coaster or The Big One as it was Europe's tallest when it opened.

 

It's about the age more than the material. The Wild Mouse didn't get listed, partly because it's post war. It's easier to get something older than WWII listed than something more recent. As time goes on, you'd expect them to move these cut off dates, so presumably at some point steel coasters will become eligible for listing. I think it'll be a while before the Big One is, though.

 

*Rodent alert*
.
The Mouse wasnt listed because it had substantial changes over its "short" life, the first drop is* a later addition.
But as dippy would be keen to point out, that's inconsistent because the dipper had major changes, and that is listed.
Dippers 90th birthday bash was great, got to leave my pint in the luggage cages on infusion.
Little things, little minds.
Edit.
*Sorry, past tense, was. Still hard to come to terms.

 

Oh yes the material isn't important, its just given we saw Corkscrew removed after just over 20 years, will we see any steel coasters get to an age before being removed where they will be considered for listing.

 

Nemesis.
The recent listings were assisted by one of the geeks...
On here???

 

Didn't someone try to obtain listed status for Southport Pleasureland's old Cyclone? The application was refused, then the cyclone was chainsawed.

 

Although it is not a particularly unique design, Revolution was the UKs first looping coaster and among the first steel coasters I think so it does feel like there is some historical significance.

 

I would argue not enough to make it even worth close to listing. At some point, all of the steel will need to be replaced, as will the train and all the plant. When you've done that on a steel coaster, what are you even 'protecting' anymore... ? The sheer cost associated with doing that for the benefit to a park that has already had its financial challenges, seems mad.

It's slightly different with a wooden ride in that most of track and structure are replaced routinely over time, but even then, I am not sold. In fact, for me, 'listed' coasters should only be a thing in the most unusual of circumstances. You could maybe convince me the Big Dipper and the Flying Machine fall into that category.

They're not things that are supposed to exist forever, they're supposed to do their time and be replaced by something else. The distinction with coasters vs. a listed building is you can list a building and retain it in a far more straightforward and pragmatic way. With coasters, people need to be able to ride them safely. With a coaster, given enough time, I struggle to understand how listing something doesn't create a situation whereby you have something that you can't/won't operate and can't demolish.

Not forgetting, if you list something at the Pleasure Beach, in most circumstances, something even older had to be demolished to build it in the first place.