O/T Town Council

[Phoenix]

Looks like Morecambe's getting a town council. Councillor Archer said "We've waited long enough - we just need to get on with it. It's only fair to the people of Morecambe who said they wanted this in 2006/07".

What about the things the people of Morecambe have been wanting for years that Councillor Archer votes against like a bypass?

Maybe the boundaries of a new town council will take me out of smiler's ward

[North Stand Shrimp]

what a waste of money and time!

[Phoenix]

The Jugs of Tea is now a pile of rubble so it looks like someone approved the £226,000 spend to flatten it and grass it over

[marky]

what a waste of money and time!

I quite agree.

[Seasider9601]

The Jugs of Tea is now a pile of rubble so it looks like someone approved the £226,000 spend to flatten it and grass it over

The same people no doubt (correct me if I'm wrong, I don't know a lot about it) who have decided to shut down The Dome in the hope that the Winter Gardens will re-open sometime in the next Millenium. Shocking.

Of course the Gardens will re-open. Hmmm ......... (not in my lifetime). Not a 'kin chance. 10p a go tombolas are not going to raise that much towards the cost of are they ?

The Dome isn't the best admitedly, but why the hell close it down completely ??? Clueless.

[maggy]

The Morecambe councillors and 1 Lancaster councillor wanted to keep the Dome it was the Lancaster and the rural councillors who want to close the Dome

6 Members (Councillors Bryning, Barry, Charles, Fletcher, Gilbert and Mace) voted to close the Dome
4 Members (Councillors Archer, Blamire, Burns and Kerr) voted against closing the Dome

[Phoenix]

The Dome was/is losing £500k per year so there's some logic in it being closed. However if it had been run differently, built better, etc, who can say whether it would be losing money now?

As reported in the papers recently, the only realistic chance of the Gardens re-opening is if someone (government?) throws lots of money into it. That's from the Gardens owner, Councillor Archer. Says a lot about their fund raising efforts.

So here's another direct request for anyone on the council to explain their decisions and/or their actions.

I won't hold my breath waiting for a decent answer though.

6 Members (Councillors Bryning, Barry, Charles, Fletcher, Gilbert and Mace) voted to close the Dome
4 Members (Councillors Archer, Blamire, Burns and Kerr) voted against closing the Dome

The Morecambe councillors and 1 Lancaster councillor wanted to keep the Dome it was the Lancaster and the rural councillors who want to close the Dome

Not really, only 10 out of the 60 councillors listed on the council web site could be arsed going to the meeting. That's 9 MBIs missing to start with. The phrase Crocodile Tears come to mind, Councillor Archer could have easily saved the Dome if she'd woken up her colleagues. Just the same way the other parties could have closed it.

[Seasider9601]

The Morecambe councillors and 1 Lancaster councillor wanted to keep the Dome it was the Lancaster and the rural councillors who want to close the Dome

6 Members (Councillors Bryning, Barry, Charles, Fletcher, Gilbert and Mace) voted to close the Dome
4 Members (Councillors Archer, Blamire, Burns and Kerr) voted against closing the Dome

Typically the LANCASTER (non Morecambe) councillors who voted to close it then ..................

[Phoenix]

Typically the LANCASTER councillors who voted to close it then ..................

At least they bothered to vote.

[shrimper]

For clarification, this was a decision made by the council 'cabinet' not the full, 60 member council. There is now an appeal (see The Visitor this week) to 'call in' this decision for another look.


[quote="Seasider9601Of course the Gardens will re-open. Hmmm ......... (not in my lifetime). Not a 'kin chance. 10p a go tombolas are not going to raise that much towards the cost of are they ?

The Dome isn't the best admitedly, but why the hell close it down completely ??? Clueless.[/quote]

I'm not going to get involved in any sniping on this forum but just something that might be of interest....


I've said that I'd have preferred the Dome to stay open until such time as another venue (preferably a re-born Gardens) was available so I agree with that bit. But 'not in my lifetime'? - I wouldn't be so sure.

Had you said that a few years ago I may have agreed.

But..

The Government recently announced £45m over three years of what they call 'Sea Change' funding for which the criteria, if you look at it, could have been co-written by the Winter Gardens campaigners.

As we reported months ago it talks specifically about trying to help the regeneration of seaside resorts and, again specifically, mentions upgrading or bringing back into use traditional old places of entertainment around which more regeneration can take place.

Our council has agreed to submit the Gardens scheme as its single bid for £4.5 funding under this scheme and people are very confident it will be approved in a couple of years' time. There has been a tacit 'nod' that this will be matched by both the North West Development Agency AND English Heritage giving more than £12m to the project.

[Seasider9601]

Point taken Glenn, thanks for the info.

It just hacks me off somewhat that more often than not when I drive or walk past the W.G. during the weekend, the gates are padlocked shut tight with visitors peering through and claiming out loud how they wished they could get in for a look round. These are the people who might then be tempted to sign up to The Friends Of, or make a donation.

[maggy]

The Dome was/is losing £500k per year so there's some logic in it being closed. However if it had been run differently, built better, etc, who can say whether it would be losing money now?

As reported in the papers recently, the only realistic chance of the Gardens re-opening is if someone (government?) throws lots of money into it. That's from the Gardens owner, Councillor Archer. Says a lot about their fund raising efforts.

So here's another direct request for anyone on the council to explain their decisions and/or their actions.

I won't hold my breath waiting for a decent answer though.

6 Members (Councillors Bryning, Barry, Charles, Fletcher, Gilbert and Mace) voted to close the Dome
4 Members (Councillors Archer, Blamire, Burns and Kerr) voted against closing the Dome

The Morecambe councillors and 1 Lancaster councillor wanted to keep the Dome it was the Lancaster and the rural councillors who want to close the Dome

Not really, only 10 out of the 60 councillors listed on the council web site could be arsed going to the meeting. That's 9 MBIs missing to start with. The phrase Crocodile Tears come to mind, Councillor Archer could have easily saved the Dome if she'd woken up her colleagues. Just the same way the other parties could have closed it.

I was replying to Sandsider regarding the dome, the minuite for the town council are not out yet and hopfully the dome will be called in

[Posh]

Our council has agreed to submit the Gardens scheme as its single bid for £4.5 funding under this scheme and people are very confident it will be approved in a couple of years' time. There has been a tacit 'nod' that this will be matched by both the North West Development Agency AND English Heritage giving more than £12m to the project.

Fantastic news that funding is being sought to revamp the Winter Gardens. However I hope those responsible for that money won't be relying on those currently in charge of the Gardens to be responsible for either bidding for the cash or spending it.

Once serious concern is the targeting of the grant solely at the Winter Gardens. At the moment we're faced with the prospect of the Woolworths building empty in a matter of days and the possibility of Hitchens being the same following their fall into administration. These two iconic Art Deco buildings should be considered within any scheme for the promenade.

Finally the Town Council. A waste of time and money. Morecambrians will now have four levels of government and in Poulton five with Neighbourhood, Town, City, County and National government. The MBI have already indicated they'd like to spend money on a Morecambe mayor so that's two mayors covering Morecambe. A joke.

[Phoenix]

There's nothing I'd like better than to see some entertainment venues on the promenade which attract decent crowds. That includes the WG but even with Shrimpers comments, I still have doubts it will happen. I'm worried they will sit back for another 2 years dping nothing, assuming they're going to get the funding then in 2 years time we're still in a recession and it's all scrapped.

Is it too late for the Dome though? Losing £500K/year is too much to claw back with little money to invest. I don't want it to close but is it financially viable to keep open?

The JoT decision obviously went through so that's £226,000 to turn it into the pile of rubble we have now and turf over the area. Might nip down this weekend to grab one of the JoT bricks to keep

[Phoenix]

These two iconic Art Deco buildings should be considered within any scheme for the promenade.

If you want to see what Posh means, walk down the prom on the landward side of Bubbles and look at the 2 buildings over the hedges. You don't see the Woolworths and Hitchens signs and doorways but you get an idea of what they really are.

Finally the Town Council. A waste of time and money. Morecambrians will now have four levels of government and in Poulton five with Neighbourhood, Town, City, County and National government. The MBI have already indicated they'd like to spend money on a Morecambe mayor so that's two mayors covering Morecambe. A joke.

It's only fair to the people of Morecambe who said they wanted this in 2006/07

Evelyn, don't count me in that! Some of whom said they wanted would be factually correct.

[maggy]

Urban splash could look at converting Woolworth and Hitchin into flats/apartments then we can have the prom site free for community use entertainment and for the general public to use

[wonder shrimp]

Urban splash could look at converting Woolworth and Hitchin into flats/apartments then we can have the prom site free for community use entertainment and for the general public to use

is anyone building new flats at the mo?

not sure that would be a viable option for a very long time!

[maggy]

Exactly that is why the dome should stay open a bit longer until urban splash are ready to do the work on the prom

[Seasider9601]

Urban splash could look at converting Woolworth and Hitchin into flats/apartments then we can have the prom site free for community use entertainment and for the general public to use

is anyone building new flats at the mo?

not sure that would be a viable option for a very long time!

But FLATS where Hitchens and Woolies now are ????


Come on ............. give over.

[maggy]

Why not thats all that seems to get done by the council

[maggy]

Typically the LANCASTER councillors who voted to close it then ..................

At least they bothered to vote.

All 10 cabinet members voted

[Phoenix]

All 10 cabinet members voted

I know, now. It wasn't clear to start that it was only 10 cabinet members that voted.

But FLATS where Hitchens and Woolies now are ????

Or more derelict buildings, what a choice. Converting those buildings would complement the Midland, go take a walk past and look up, not in.

[morecambe mick]

I don't often chip in on this debate, but isn't converting buildings into dwellings what Urban Splash do best?

I think it's a brilliant idea, and a fantastic compromise. I want Morecambe to be a vibrant community, not a scene of dereliction as it is now, in large parts.
Sure, there are parts that are wonderful, that have been upgraded with sympathy, but don't those areas always get overlooked when next to a shabby area?

If anyone doubts what can be done to turn old shops/storage areas into desirable proprties, look no further than St Georges Quay, Lancaster.

[Heysham_Shrimp]

Do the Lancaster City Council subsidise the Dukes Theatre? If they do has this been cut?

Maybe the Dukes could transfer to a re-vamped Winter Gardens which does have the advantage of a large car park.

[Posh]

Urban splash could look at converting Woolworth and Hitchin into flats/apartments then we can have the prom site free for community use entertainment and for the general public to use

How ridiculous. Both are listed buildings and even the most cursory glance at the architecture shows it would be impossible to convert the buildings for residential use.

Any argument, even the most spurious, so Saint Evelyn can have a nice view from her first floor restaurant.