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

Friday, 26 May 2023 06:50

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

The boarded up former Frontierland site in Morecambe

A row over 'Frontierland tax' has rumbled on at the first Morecambe Town Council meeting since the local elections.

Councillors clashed as a senior Morecambe Bay Independent labelled plans to raise £1m from taxpayers in an attempt to kickstart a community project on the former Wild West theme park "disgusting".

The decision to raise Morecambe Town Council's share of Council Tax by around 231 per cent was made in February, prior to the local elections.

It will raise one million pounds from Morecambe residents for a 'Community Action Fund' related to the derelict former fairground which is owned by Lancaster City Council.

The decision has caused controversy among residents and political groups alike.

Tensions over the Frontierland issue rose again at Morecambe Town Hall on Thursday night after Councillor Paul Hart, a Liberal Democrat, proposed changes to the council's 'standing orders' or rules.

In one of several changes he proposed, Councillor Hart suggested that decisions of the council should not be reversed within 12 months except by a special motion of at least nine councillors, or by a motion moved after a report or recommendation by a council committee. The current limit is six months.

MBI councillors spoke out furiously against this idea.

Councillor Roger Dennison called it "anti-democratic" and Councillor Geoff Knight said it was an attempt by Councillor Hart to "stand by the mistakes made in the previous administration of that disgusting Frontierland tax that was levied".

"Half of Morecambe is up in arms about it, you're just trying to stymie any chance of reversing that decision over the next 12 months," said Councillor Knight (pictured below).

Councillor Hart later told Beyond Radio: "It's not anti-democratic, I want to preserve the council committees. The MBIs want to bring every (decision) to full council. Everything will be argued over. It's a recipe for chaos. I want the council to continue as it has done."

Councillor Knight said that the idea of giving full council more of a say was to "control expenditure".

Twenty of the 26 town councillors voted in at the recent local elections, were not on the council prior to them, and were not involved in the Frontierland tax decision.

During the meeting, some of the new councillors asked for clarity on the Frontierland situation.

It was proposed that suggested changes to council rules be delayed until a later meeting, so the new councillors could receive training and an update on the Frontierland issue.

Councillor Hart said he did not wish to defer the decision on the rule changes, but the four Liberal Democrat councillors were outvoted as 11 MBIs and independent councillor Trish Clarke, voted for the motion. Six Labour councillors abstained.

Councillor Knight then said that in future, the town council should decide its Council Tax precept (share) before the Lancaster City Council budget meeting takes place - as the city council is responsible for collating and producing Council Tax bills.

"We had a situation this year when all parishes were ready (with their Council Tax precepts) and we had the embarrassing situation where Morecambe Town Council presented theirs the day after," he said.

"We should have had our meeting before the Lancaster City Council meeting."

Margaret Pattison of Labour (pictured below), one of the councillors who voted for the tax rise in February, said: "I would never have voted for it if I'd known it would go up 231 per cent."

Later in the meeting, Councillor Hart (pictured below) proposed that the council set up a 'Frontierland committee'.

Councillors voted to set up this committee "in principal" but for its role and rules to be discussed at a later date.

The Frontierland site is owned by Lancaster City Council who are in the process of seeking "expressions of interest" from would-be developers of the land, which has been disused since the fairground closed 23 years ago.

Morecambe Town Council has put in its own expression of interest and is setting up a 'community forum' of residents to push their ideas forward.

They want "to create a welcoming hub on the former Frontierland site, 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".

But opponents of the idea, including Morecambe Bay Independents and Morecambe MP David Morris (pictured below), have described it as "a vanity project" and "double taxation".

Also at Thursday night's meeting, Councillor Claire Cozler was elected the new chair of Morecambe Town Council, and Councillor Paul Hart was elected vice-chair.

Read more on the background to the Frontierland tax controversy here:

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

£100k for festivals and highest ever staffing costs in Morecambe Town Council budget - Beyond Radio

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

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

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

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