Spotlight
LANCASTER AND MORECAMBE – SUSTAINABLE
CHANGE By Jonathan Noad,
Chief officer sustainable growth, Lancaster City Council
Eden Project
A DIFFICULT TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Owain Roberts is clear in his belief that Eden Project Morecambe is a “major opportunity”.
However, Northern Rail’s regional stakeholder manager is also clear that without “subsidies” it will be difficult to improve rail links to the seaside town.
The transport challenges the arrival of Eden and its projected 740,000 visitors a year will bring continue to exercise minds.
Jonathan Noad, chief officer, sustainable growth, at Lancaster City Council, says: “The transport puzzle for Eden and Morecambe is one of the biggest issues we are having to deal with at the moment.
“We don’t want everybody arriving by car, blocking the roads and cars being dumped everywhere in Morecambe.
“It needs to be managed and we need to encourage people to come on more sustainable transport.”
Owain spells out the current situation with regard to rail: “Going forward there is unfortunately at the moment no budget available for public transport to and from the Eden Project.
“We have been doing some work looking at what we could do if additional subsidy was provided.”
Northern operates a shuttle rail service between Lancaster and Morecambe and demand for that is expected to double once the visitor attraction opens its doors.
The transport puzzle for Eden and
Morecambe is one of the biggest issues we are having to deal with at the moment
With the West Coast line straining under its present capacity there is a limit on what the rail operator can provide in terms of extra direct services. Owain says: “We are bound by the constraints on the West Coast Main Line.”
To put things in context, there are five daily services between Leeds and Morecambe but commuters can’t travel by train from Preston straight into the resort.
Financial support, whether from local or national sources, would allow the rail operator to look at long-distance connectivity and upgrade the station facilities in the town and at Lancaster.
Jonathan Noad says work on Morecambe’s investment strategy is looking at how improved station facilities, possibly an integrated transport hub, could be incorporated into the development of the town’s central area.
Meanwhile, the campaign for new rail stations and electic trains to support Morecambe’s regeneration continues.
The city council is lobbying for new stations or stopping points to be built betweeb Morecambe and Heysham.
lancaster.gov.uk |
lancasterandmorecambebay.com LANCASHIREBUSINES SV
IEW.CO.UK
There is so much happening in Lancaster and Morecambe to put it firmly on the map not only in Lancashire but also in the North West as a whole.
In Morecambe we are particularly focused on the regeneration of the town as a coastal community. This is firmly underpinned with the anchor of Eden Project Morecambe. Working jointly with Eden Project, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to deliver a world class visitor experience. With Eden firmly moving to the delivery phase and an opening date in three years’ time it is only right that we ensure regeneration is not just about Eden but also the wider benefits.
We are working on a Regeneration and Investment Framework for the rest of Morecambe town centre. This will focus on bringing further investment in the form of mixed-use development whilst also supporting existing local businesses to benefit from the change in the resort. That is not just within Morecambe itself but the wider area where supply chain impacts are crucial to generate sustainable prosperity.
Allied with this is a huge commitment to skills and education to ensure Eden and other businesses have the right employees with the right skills and values from the local community. Building on the success of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum, further skills and apprenticeship schemes will focus on not only construction linked to Eden and the regeneration of the town centre but also longer term requirements.
Moving away from Morecambe, Lancaster is an attractive heritage city with a large cultural and visitor offer. With two universities, the city also has strengths in high tech sectors of the economy with the highly successful Electech cluster. Located on the West Coast Mainline and the M6 Lancaster has unrivalled connectivity with the key centres of Manchester and Liverpool less than an hour away by train and London is only just over two hours away.
The goal in Lancaster is to bring prosperity to the area with managed growth delivering key sustainable outcomes for the local community and business sector.
Jonathan Noad is chief officer for sustainable growth at Lancaster City Council a role he has had for the last two-and-a-half years. Jonathan leads the economic development, regeneration and arts and culture functions of the Council. Jonathan has worked in and around Lancashire for over 20 years of his professional career and is a dual qualified Town Planner and Chartered Surveyor.
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