Sea wall projects gets £4m boost

The sea wall will take four years to construct

An extra £4m is to be spent on the finishing touches to Blackpool's sea wall project.

About £70m is being spent on a complete rebuild of the 3.2km (1.9 mile) wall between the Sandcastle and North Pier.

The construction of the wall, phase I of the project, has been mainly funded by central government.

The North West Development Agency is to part fund phase II, which includes improving pedestrian access, more seats, and cleaning up its appearance.

The agency has already given £8m towards phase I and the new cash will be spent over the next 18 months.

Chief executive Steven Broomhead said: "The idea for the project is to provide a high quality environment in one of the most intensely used public areas in the region."

The funding will provide areas of soft landscaping on the promenade, pedestrian crossings across the tramway and better landscaping.