Developers set for talks at former theme park site

Frontierland theme park on Morecambe's seafront closed in 2000

Developers interested in regenerating a former theme park in a seaside town are to meet the council.

Frontierland on Morecambe's seafront closed in 2000 before Lancaster City Council bought the land in 2021.

The site was discussed along with Eden Project and other Morecambe regeneration topics at the latest Eden community conversation event, hosted by the local authority, Eden and others.

City council officer, Jonathan Noad, said "about 35 regional and national developers" were coming to the town and they would "need to up-their-gears and put their ideas to us" as they look to start the procurement process.

"Eden creates a good impetus for Morecambe but we need to do other things too," he said.

"We’ve also got the rest of central Morecambe to look at."

Mr Noad added: “A big part of this is about transport, the railway and buses, and about connectivity.

"Work will also look at Morecambe environments and what the public realm needs to look like to attract visitors.”

During a public question session, topics were raised including rail links.

'Massive benefit'

Earlier this year, a Lancaster City Council meeting called for investment in better train services and more stops between Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham.

Some city councillors said modern electric battery-powered trains could be used and extra stops built without huge construction work or costs.

The Morecambe and Heysham branch rail line connects to the under-pressure West Coast Mainline and Lancaster.

Some services go further to Skipton, Bradford and Leeds via Bentham.

Elsewhere, transport campaigners in east Lancashire and West Yorkshire want to reopen the former 12-mile section of railway between Colne and Skipton for fast trans-Pennine trains right across Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Mike Cliff, of Lancashire County Council, said: “Having the  Morecambe railway station so close to the Eden and Frontierland sites is a massive benefit.

"We are working with Network Rail and Northern Trains."