Morecambe Town Council makes bombshell U-turn on Frontierland plan

Morecambe Town Council has made a stunning U-turn on its controversial plans for the Frontierland site.

The town council has decided to withdraw its expression of interest for developing the eyesore former Wild West theme park on Marine Road West.

The council will also take legal advice to look for a way to recompense Morecambe taxpayers after raising a £1m 'Frontierland tax' from them earlier this year.

The decision was driven by the Morecambe Bay Independents (MBIs), now the majority group on the town council after the local elections in May.

The MBIs opposed the plan to raise £1m from Council Tax for a 'Frontierland Community Action Fund', an idea rubber-stamped by town councillors from other groups in February.

They said it was "double taxation" as the land is already owned by Lancaster City Council.

The fund led to a 231-237 per cent rise in the town council's share of Council Tax - by far the biggest in its 14-year history - and hugely divided opinion in the town.

At a meeting on Thursday night, MBI councillor Geoff Knight (pictured below) put forward a motion to, in effect, reverse some of the previous administration's plans regarding the derelict site.

Councillor Knight spoke to Beyond Radio after the meeting had ended

"I don't think we need to have a financial commitment into that site," said Councillor Knight.

"It's wrong that Morecambe Town Council use council tax payers money again to actually repurpose land on that site because we already own it.

"We have made enquiries about the reuse of the £1m that was raised on the Morecambe Town Council precept.

"It's quite clear we need legal advice before we reallocate that money.

"The first question I asked was, can that money be refunded to council taxpayers?

"The advice I've had from Lancaster City Council is there is no mechanism for refunding that money and that an alternative mechanism has to be sought.

"So we'll take legal advice on that so we don't end up in a Crinkley Bottom scenario.

"We will have a look at what we can do with that £1m and if there is any way we can reimburse that to the council taxpayers, we will certainly do our best to return that money."

Councillor Knight's motion called for 'Morecambe Town Council to withdraw its expression of interest in the former Frontierland site" and for the town council's proper officer Luke Trevaskis to "write to the leader of Lancaster City Council to confirm this decision".

It also asked that the town council be "kept informed by Lancaster City Council on any aspects of redevelopment of the former Frontierland site" and "reiterated our objection to any housing on this site".

The motion also said that the town council should take "legal advice regarding the reallocation of funds which were raised for the community fund".

"It was an admirable thought by the previous administration to get involved in the regeneration of Frontierland, but it was a huge mistake asking for that (Council Tax) precept," said Councillor Knight, speaking at the meeting held at Morecambe Town Hall.

"It was one of the biggest complaints we had at the polling stations on polling day."

Councillor Paul Hart of the Liberal Democrats, who was chairing the meeting, was one of the councillors who voted in favour of setting up the Community Fund.

Councillor Hart (pictured below) said: "After the length of time that we have been looking at Frontierland, and coming to the conclusion we did, I would rather not force this through tonight.".

But Councillor Knight said: "No stalling, no side-stepping, the public want an answer on this.

"There is a reason why many of our colleagues didn't get voted back onto the council at the last election."

Mr Trevaskis advised that the motion should have been given to all councillors with three days' notice, rather than being brought to Thursday night's meeting for the first time. He said that it should be discussed at a future meeting, with the next one due in September.

He said it was a "proposal to reverse a council decision" but Councillor Roger Dennison, of the MBIs, disagreed, saying: "It is not a reversal. This is a clarification. We are not walking away (from Frontierland)."

Councillor Martin Bottoms, an MBI (pictured below), said: "By not resolving it tonight, we are just delaying. We are causing problems for Lancaster City Council. We could get embarrassed in the meantime, by Lancaster City Council refusing our expression of interest. I think we have to resolve this tonight one way or another, otherwise we will just waste two months."

Councillor Hart, as chair, then said he would allow the motion, saying: "There is no point in a delay in my view."

A vote then took place, with 13 MBI councillors (Geoff Knight, Martin Bottoms, Clark Kent, Roger Dennison, Brett Cooper, Jackie Rogerson, Dan Blacow, Lee Bradbury, Russell Walsh, Keri Gee, Wayne Dixon, Debbie Knight and Jason Slater), two Labour (John Hanson and David Whitaker) and one independent (Patricia Clarke) voting in favour of the motion. Three Lib Dem councillors, Paul Hart, John Livermore and Jim Pilling, voted against.

Councillor Hart declined to comment after the meeting.

In February, councillors voted to create the £1m Community Action Fund after a survey of more than 1,500 residents said the derelict former theme park should be developed for community use.

They wanted the fund to give them a seat at the table for talks with Lancaster City Council on the future of Frontierland and prevent it from falling into the hands of housing developers, instead creating a "community-led project" on the site.

This project would include "a welcoming hub that fulfils multi-purpose functions to create maximum flexibility over time, encouraging creativity and free-to-access community infrastructure such as culture hubs, outdoor classrooms, a mini open-air theatre, and a community centre".

They also wanted to ensure Morecambe residents had a say in the future of the land, which has been mainly disused since Frontierland closed in 2000, through a residents' forum.

A town council spokesperson said at the time, that most of the people who replied to the survey said they were willing to contribute £50-£100 to a fund that will "bring free access to more local recreation and leisure facilities, open spaces, skill-sharing, art and culture".

Lancaster City Council, who bought the site from Morrison's in 2021, has twice asked for "expressions of interest" from would-be developers.

In March, they said that most responses from the first round of bids were "housing led with an ancillary hotel and leisure component".

They then put out feelers for more expressions of interest, hoping for leisure-based ideas, with a deadline of June.

As yet, no firm proposals have been agreed for the future of the site.

Councillor Knight said the previous town council's plans for the site were "very good" but he said he was "confident", even with the plans being withdrawn, that the "right thing" would be done by the Frontierland site for the people of Morecambe.

"If I could wave a magic wand, I would put a hotel and family restaurant on one part of it, and a conference centre on the other side, but that's something for Lancaster City Council to provide," he said.

"Another idea was pods, small self-catering flats for holidaymakers, a Centerparcs type idea.

"Lancaster City Council will do whatever they will do on Frontierland."

After the local elections in May, only six of 26 town councillors from the previous administration remain on Morecambe Town Council.

At Thursday night's meeting, prior to the vote, former councillors who lost their seats in the May elections, spoke out about Frontierland.

Wendy Cowley (pictured above, right) encouraged the council to consult with residents, saying there had been "lots of good advice from the community".

"The last council consulted extensively about possible uses for Frontierland," she said.

"For us, at that time it led us to a belief that our council could best serve our community by expressing an interest in carrying out the wishes of the community.

"The council unanimously agreed to set up a working group and gave it a budget to carry out that work.

"The increase in the Council Tax was to enable the creation of a Community Action Fund which, in turn, can be used to attract outside funding."

Lynda Dagdeviren (pictured above, left) told councillors: "Time is on your side. You do not have to rush into decision-making on this issue.

"You have time to consult and establish better ideas for community use. The expression of interest is not a worked-up scheme. It is simply an opportunity to gain a toehold in one of the most important decisions affecting Morecambe and to allow Morecambe Town Council to play a full part in the future of that site."

But Roger Cleet, a Lancaster city councillor for Heysham North and former town councillor who also spoke at the meeting, said: "Personally I think the money should be paid back.

"If it's not going to be spent on Frontierland, it needs to go back to the people."

Also at Thursday's meeting, councillors voted to rename its Frontierland Committee to the Planning and Regeneration Committee. 

For the background to this story, read more here: 

Morecambe Town Council to raise £1m from taxpayers in attempt to acquire Frontierland - Beyond Radio

Morecambe councillor calls for U-turn on controversial 'Frontierland tax' - Beyond Radio

Frontierland site not up for sale says council leader as tax controversy rumbles on - Beyond Radio

Morecambe MP calls for government investigation into £1m 'Frontierland tax' - Beyond Radio

Morecambe Town Council hits back after MP rips into 'Frontierland tax' rise in Westminster speech - Beyond Radio

Row over Frontierland rumbles on as Morecambe councillor labels tax rise "disgusting" - Beyond Radio