Blackpool Tower: Corroded lights due to be replaced

Some of the lights at the top of Blackpool Tower are due to be replaced due to corrosion.

Blackpool Council, which owns the tower, is seeking consent for the work as changes to the Grade I listed landmark need government approval.

Some existing lights also obscure the tower's decorative detail, architectural experts Arup said.

They said lights would be added which would "better accentuate this part of the structure when illuminated".

In a statement, Arup said recent surveys found non-original steel plates used for lighting strips had badly corroded.

Seven lighting strips have already been removed, but the remainder now need to be taken off using specialist equipment to minimise the risk of damage.

An Arup representative said: "The new lights represent a beneficial impact in this respect since they offer a minimised and reversible disturbance to the appearance of the structure itself… and allow the intricacies of the Tower design to be better articulated at night-time."

In 2011, 10,000 old bulbs were replaced with LED lights as part of a £250,000 refurbishment, while further improvements were carried out between 2019 and 2020 when lights were upgraded as part of a £200,000 investment.

A giant illuminated heart has also been added to the front of the tower.

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