INTERVIEW: New council leader wants to see results on Frontierland, Eden Project and Canal Quarter

The new leader of Lancaster City Council says he wants to see long-awaited developments that have been "rumbling along for years" like Eden, Frontierland and the Canal Quarter finally happen.

In his first interview since becoming leader, Councillor Phillip Black told Beyond Radio it was time to "start producing something" to help get these highly-anticipated schemes built.

"I would like to see some of the long term projects that everyone knows about that have been rumbling along for years, some of them actually starting to bear fruit," said Councillor Black, when asked what his 'ideal future' of the district would look like.

"Eden, Frontierland, the Canal Quarter, a lot of these things have been coming down the pipe for a long time and I think it's incumbent on us to start producing something other than written reports and documents and talk about what they could look like. It's time to see what they could actually be." 

Councillor Black, a Labour councillor for Scale Hall, was chosen as the new leader of the council on Monday, after Labour, the Greens and Liberal Democrats agreed to work together to form the new cabinet.

A former professional photographer originally from Northamptonshire, he met his husband Matthew while both were working on cruise ships, and they settled in the Lancaster area in 2008. 

They formerly ran a fish and chip shop in Halton, and Phillip has also done a degree with the Open University in astronomy and interplanetary sciences, and has been studying for a masters degree in astronomy and astrophysics.

Matthew, who represents Westgate ward, was also elected as a city councillor in the recent local elections.

"There was a bit of a panic moment at the council meeting when Councillor Thornberry proposed that Councillor Black become leader of the council but didn't specify which Councillor Black, so I think he was a little worried that he might walk out of that meeting as the leader of the council himself!" said Phillip.

"I think we're probably the first same-sex couple on Lancaster City Council. I believe I'm the first openly gay leader of the city council as well."

Councillor Black said he was "incredibly proud" to be the leader and it was "a real honour".

LISTEN to the interview with Councillor Phillip Black

Here is what Councillor Black had to say about a range of topics.

His priorities as leader

"It's an interesting time to take on the leadership role - the prospect of having to deal with simultaneous emergencies, a housing emergency, climate emergency, biodiversity emergencies, cost of living crisis, energy crisis, we're still dealing with the shockwaves and after effects of the pandemic as well.

"It's a complicated picture that we're dealing with in the local area. The budgetary situation is extremely challenging at the moment."

The proposed Eden Project Morecambe

"We're all really excited at the prospect of Eden coming. We need to ensure that things start happening with that.

"There is the potential for some harm from gentrification and exploitative landlords - people getting priced out of living in their own homes.

"We're focussed on making sure Eden delivers on the promised benefits without having any negative impacts along the way."

The future of The Platform in Morecambe

"There is talk about a partnership arrangement, not selling it off, but bringing a partner organisation in to help with the maintaining and running of it.

"There haven't been any further discussions. We'll be starting a new budget cycle in September/October time, it would be extremely premature for me to talk about what the funding position would be with the Platform, but I can tell you that our ambition would be for us to retain it."

Developing the Frontierland site in Morecambe

"I asked about this with a meeting with the chief executive this week. Expressions of interest are still coming in. it will be at a point where we've seen a raft of proposals and we get a sense of just what the possibilities are for that site. I'm quite keen that we take stock of the community position on it. I know Morecambe Town Council did a little bit of work on trying to sound out the community on what they think should go there, and we need to work with them. But before we rush ahead with any plans we need a steer from the community to make sure that it's really delivering. It's a prime piece of real estate in Morecambe. It's close to the proposed site for Eden. I think it's really important that what goes there is done right, and it also does have to return on the investment that the city council made in it."

Canal Quarter development in Lancaster.

"It has a lot of promise. There is probably an ambition on the council to try and get some social housing on there as well. We are in unique position because the city council owns blocks of land around the Canal Quarter site. Some of it is owned by private landholding companies but because we are landowners we have far more influence in how the development will shape and how it might look. It's a really strong position to be in and it leads the way for other developers to fall in line behind you."

Labour-Green-Lib Dem Alliance

"It makes sense if you can work harmoniously across the three groups. I think our position from quite early on in the negotiations was that a three part arrangement would be best. I think we probably did somewhere between eight to 10 hours of discussions over the week.  I think the final agreement was signed about 10 minutes before the council meeting kicked off.

"I'm really glad that we got the outcome that we got, I think it's exactly what people would have expected from us, not bickering and squabbling, just working out between our groups what is fair and equitable, what is the shared ambition and direction, and how do we all pull together to get it done.

"I was presented every possible machination of the political landscape that you can imagine. None of that matters as much as just getting on with it. Having one of those parties in an opposition position, to my mind, it never made sense. People want to see us working together so that's what we're getting on and doing.

"I don't think people will be surprised that (Conservative leader) Andrew Gardiner would have things to say to cast doubt over a co-operative agreement between three other parties. I can see why he would be less than thrilled that the three of us have agreed to work together and get on with it.

"I think it would be naive to suggest that (the three parties) are always just going to agree on everything. There's going to be differences of opinion. The important bit is how you get past it and find ways of working together for the good of our residents."

Read more: New Lancaster City Council leader elected after 11th hour Labour, Greens and Lib Dems deal - Beyond Radio

The new Cabinet

Councillor Black said that the new Lancaster City Council Cabinet members will be Labour councillors Jean Parr, Jason Wood, Catherine Potter, Joanne Ainscough and himself, Green group leader Gina Dowding and her colleagues council deputy leader Caroline Jackson, Tim Hamilton-Cox and Nick Wilkinson, and local Lib Dem leader Peter Jackson.