HOW IT RATES

Famous for typifying the flagging British seaside holiday industry, Blackpool miraculously continues to draw a vacationing crowd. Facilities for the year-round population need a serious cash injection to bring jobs and boosted morale to long-suffering local residents.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

Er... the Blackpool Tower, built in 1894. Not so much a gem as an indelible landmark that represents the town’s tourist industry. Great views of the Irish Sea, plus tea dances in the afternoons. The Tower’s Victorian ballroom is a splendid sight, with ornate plasterwork and chandeliers.

WHAT'S NEW

Victoria Mansions is a red-brick, four-storey apartment block recently built by Newfield Jones Homes (01253 391212). Dune Point is a luxury beachfront complex just outside the town on Clifton Drive (01706 228392).

QUALITY OF LIFE

Not that hot. Blackpool is one of the most deprived areas in the North West. Talbot, Claremont, Bloomfield, Waterloo and Brunswick are particularly struggling, with 61 per cent of all Blackpool crime committed in these six districts. On the other hand, the Golden Mile is heaven for a thrill-seeking teenager with a taste for candyfloss.

TRAVEL

Trains throughout the day to both Liverpool and Manchester; the journey takes about 90 minutes. There are five daily coach services to London, which take 6½ hours to do the trip.

POPULATION

This has plummeted to 142,900 from a peak of 151,000 in 1993; 10 per cent of the population is aged over 75, not much higher than the national average of 8 per cent.

SMARTEST STREETS Stanley Park, east of Blackpool, is the best area. Houses go for around £400,000. The Lytham area, south of Blackpool, is home to the world-class Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, making it a popular retirement spot. Lytham St Anne’s has been regenerated, attracting young professionals, in particular to Homefield Close.

BEST RESTAURANT

Kwizeen serves an inventive take on British food. The Old Coach House hotel restaurant serves a decent supper for £20. A bargain, you might think — in fact, a roast dinner costs about a fiver at many Blackpool hotels.

TOP NIGHTLIFE

A series of neon-lit tableaux called the Illuminations runs at night from September to November on the promenade. The Syndicate superclub is the UK’s biggest club. The Grand Theatre showcases everything from musicals to classical ballet, opera and lectures.

EDUCATION Montgomery High School is a language college that got 76 per cent A* to C at GCSE in 2006. Arnold School is the only private one; 86 per cent of pupils attain grades A to C at A/AS level.

WORKING LIFE In 2005 the unemployment rate was 23.7 per cent, with tourism jobs down to a fifth of the area’s employment, though restaurant and manufacturing work still comprise just over a third; 28.8 per cent of jobs are in the managerial, professional and technical sectors, compared with 41.9 per cent in Britain as a whole.

UPSIDE

Miles of sandy beaches; the seafront promenade in Blackpool is seven miles long. The Pleasure Beach is the most impressive amusement park in Europe, with 145 rides, both traditional and white-knuckle. Its best feature is that it doesn’t have a set closing time — they just see how busy they are.

DOWNSIDE

Most of the best areas to live are just inland. The biggest nuclear power station in Europe is 20 miles north at Heysham. The big question for Blackpool residents is: Why was there no Plan B for regeneration if the supercasino bid failed?

£123,130 The average property price in Blackpool Source: Halifax

1% The increase in property prices in Blackpool over the past three months Source: Halifax

166% The increase in property prices in Blackpool over the past ten years Source: Halifax

33% The proportion of Blackpool’s tourists who visit in the autumn for the Illuminations Source: Tourist Information

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