O/T The Ranch House

[New_Ground_Watcher]

According to The Visitor there's going to be a new Brewers Fayre pub and Premier Inn on the site of the existing Ranch House. The second best pub in Morecambe (as voted for by Visitor readers) is going to be replaced by another plastic pub. The Ranch is the best pub in town for sports, good beer, great service, live bands and good atmosphere. I know it could do with a refurb but a Brewers Fayre?

As for the shopping park they've got B&M (already in town) and TK Maxx.

Does anybody think this is a good idea?

[George Dawes]

More shops is not the answer, peoples shopping habits have changed , online shopping is massive, and often ignored to when explaining why there's so many empty shops on our high streets in the UK, also it will only shift the problem around Morecambe Town centre, when all what is needed is to centralise the shops we already have, making the town center more compact, with quality not quantity.


The ranch house should be left alone, it's iconic, and trades well, and maintained painted every other year on the outside.

[halftimeresults]

People moaning about more shops but let's be honest , anything is gonna be better than the mess that we have at the moment!

[Jack Poulton]

Sorry for the traditionalists but this makes commercial and economic sense. A Premier Inn will be a major investment in Morecambe and demonstrates the confidence of a national hotel chain to invest in the town. This always comes with one of the national pub chains that appeal to a mass market and so the needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few. To my mind ( as a professional marketeer and economist) it is a major coup which will only be of benefit to our beloved town.

[Gone_Shrimping]

However pleasant the ambience of the Ranch House may be , from the outside it looks very run down. Brewers Fayre is not everyone's cup of tea so to speak but they do draw families and trippers which with the best will in the world is not the case with The Ranch House.

A 60 bedroom hotel in that part of town is also a step in the right direction IMHO.

[outsider]

Surly we have enough hotels, Now we need something to get people to come here.

[KenH]

Surly we have enough hotels, Now we need something to get people to come here.

No, we don't have enough of the budget hotel chains. We have a vast surplus of old fashioned boarding houses that many people simply won't touch today, despite some of them being excellent quality. Many people will not look beyond the chains and if the chains aren't here, they won't come and stay.

[james456]

But hasn't Morecambe Travelodge been something of a white elephant and almost completely unused? After all the hype of a hotel chain coming to Morecambe?

[shrimpnsave]

Surly we have enough hotels, Now we need something to get people to come here.

No, we don't have enough of the budget hotel chains. We have a vast surplus of old fashioned boarding houses that many people simply won't touch today, despite some of them being excellent quality. Many people will not look beyond the chains and if the chains aren't here, they won't come and stay.

But why would visitors come to Morecambe in the first place,the town has hardly any thing to offer as "entertainment" at this rate we'll have more shops and "hotels" than visitors,or will it just be the bay scenery they come for

[Keith]

or will it just be the bay scenery they come for

And the football!

[Dave (Barra)]

Surly we have enough hotels, Now we need something to get people to come here.

No, we don't have enough of the budget hotel chains. We have a vast surplus of old fashioned boarding houses that many people simply won't touch today, despite some of them being excellent quality. Many people will not look beyond the chains and if the chains aren't here, they won't come and stay.

But why would visitors come to Morecambe in the first place,the town has hardly any thing to offer as "entertainment" at this rate we'll have more shops and "hotels" than visitors,or will it just be the bay scenery they come for

Contractors. The new substations being built and isn't the power station due for an upgrade?

There are hotels flying up in Barrow at the moment - all for the masses of contractors working in the yard, on the wind farms etc. If Morecambe gets the same benefit - busy bars, restaurants etc then all the better, imho.

[P/T Indie]

According to The Visitor there's going to be a new Brewers Fayre pub and Premier Inn on the site of the existing Ranch House. The second best pub in Morecambe (as voted for by Visitor readers) is going to be replaced by another plastic pub. The Ranch is the best pub in town for sports, good beer, great service, live bands and good atmosphere. I know it could do with a refurb but a Brewers Fayre?

As for the shopping park they've got B&M (already in town) and TK Maxx.

Does anybody think this is a good idea?

It's hardly the freeport style idea that was originally thought of. BM bargains moving premises and one new shop hardly attracting the big names. Then the current b and m will be lying empty.

[marky No.1]

Thought we had planning permission for a hotel and fast food outlet on our wasteland, looks like this puts the kibosh on it

[shrimpnsave]

seems the Planning and forward thinking of Lancaster City Council as far as Morecambe is concerned is a disgrace from what I'm told..........

[P/T Indie]

Lancaster will complain that it will affect trade in Lancaster so what that's their problem.

[Christies Child]

The entire project smells of being done on the cheap which no doubt reflects the way that the town is viewed by outside investors.

The list of those intending to get involved reads like a who's who of cheap tat available with little if any quality shops that would draw in shoppers from other towns where the selection and choice is of a far higher standard than what is envisaged in this development. To replace one store already in existence with a new one will leave the present store once again empty. Where are the likes of M&S and Debenhams who would without doubt attract a new visitor to the town and the spin off that would come from that...

Sorry but for me what is being offered is simply very, very poor and will do little to improve the stature of the town further afield.

[morecambegeek]

M&S and Debenhams could easily open a store in Morecambe should they want to.

They fact they have chosen not to secure land to build a store, or take a unit in this development shows they must be looking at other areas to expand in.

The former frontierland site is owned by private landowners, not the council. Provided the development meets planning guidelines, the council don't have the right to say which stores may or may not open on the site.

[New_Ground_Watcher]

I was queuing at the roundabout on the prom at the end of Central Drive today waiting for those stupid lights at Aldi to change when it struck me! Will there be more lights at the entrance to the new shopping park? If so there's no hope left, the prom will be a permanent car park, a no go zone!

[shrimpnsave]

I was queuing at the roundabout on the prom at the end of Central Drive today waiting for those stupid lights at Aldi to change when it struck me! Will there be more lights at the entrance to the new shopping park? If so there's no hope left, the prom will be a permanent car park, a no go zone!

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[marky No.1]

We've had a meeting of the committeeeee

[Shrimps Trust]

And Passed a resolution

[marky No.1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-KrzEeh5R4

[New_Ground_Watcher]

Closing on 31st of January.

http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/news/local/ ... z3rHgk2uQx

I for one will miss it. Good news about the Imperial though, it was a great pub back in the 70s and 80s.

[Keith]

Good news about the Imperial though, it was a great pub back in the 70s and 80s.

Good luck to them, having freehold will secure their future investment and hopefully they will take their customers with them.

[Scotty]

I'm a bit of latecomer to the joys of the Ranch, having only first started going in Sept 2014 after I cancelled my BT Sport subscription. I only ever watched it when LFC were on. Having watched most of the BT televised LFC games in there over the past 12 months, I too will miss it.

It's good to hear though that they have the Imperial building. Played darts there a few times over the years and if they can provide a decent layout for the live footy and maintain the atmosphere, I'm sure they'll retain the regulars and hopefully gain a few more. It's also a little bit closer to the Globe so could possibly become popular with the away fans?

If you have never been in the Ranch, I recommend you give it a go before it goes. You'll hopefully be pleasantly surprised.