Just thought I would bring you up to date with the latest progress, or lack of, in relation to Blackpool South railway station.
I’m certainly not a railway man by any stretch of the imagination but what I am is someone that doesn’t like watching Blackpool Council living in it’s Teflon-lined bubble doing whatever it likes with little regard to the damage to local services, infrastructure and it’s own reputation.
As you know, Cllr Maxine Callow in conjunction with Doug Garrett at ReBlackpool want to cut the line back to the Pleasure Beach from Waterloo Road in order to help their cronies at the Pleasure Beach.
Given the intention to develop Central with some form of world class attraction, the increase in capacity of Bloomfield Road with the Jimmy Armfield Stand and the prospect of massive redevelopment of the Foxhall/Waterloo area this truncation proposal is clearly a sham with some vested interests going on.
I knew that Blackpool South incumbent Gordon Marsden MP was a supporter of this station and putting political affiliation aside I decided to ask him about the current status of the proposed closure and his petitioning of transport tsar Lord Adonis, given that the decision to cut the line rests squarely with the council and not the government.
Following the issues that I, the Rail Users Association and other residents have raised the Council agreed before Christmas to a motion put before it by Councillor Fred Jackson to oppose any suggested closure or relocation of Blackpool South station, though there was an amendment by the Council’s leadership adding ‘for the time being’.
So, it’s saved for now. Clearly, though, Messrs Callow are cooking something up, and I don’t like it.
Gordon went on to agree with me that we should be looking to improve the line by extending it as well as increasing the use of it. Even I would have to concede that if nobody uses it then it is in the firing line.
I agree with the view that we should be looking to extend the use of the line, particularly in terms of frequency and awareness/signposting of it. I think we have a particular opportunity here given the potential for expanded numbers at Bloomfield Road, the new developments there and the regeneration of South Shore.
I have to say I never thought I’d find myself agreeing with Gordon Marsden, but he is right on the money here and the Conservative council are the ones wanting to make the cuts.
Gordon went on to say that the reason Lord Adonis could be involved was due to the line being designated as a Community Rail Partnership, opening up avenues for Department of Transport funding if there was sufficient desire to extend and improve the line and facilities.
I’d love to hear what local PPCs think about this because it’s a highly important issue for a lot of people. No, I have never been on this rail line, but I do know that cutting transport links is always a bad idea, especially when they run into areas that – according to the very people that want to cut the line - have tens of millions of pounds worth of investment lining up.
Brilliant post Phil, thank you.
I’ve just posted a link on LiveinBlackpool and some pics: http://www.liveinblackpool.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=280
There is a very good business case for keeping Blackpool South Station, apart from the life line it brings to an area in much need of regeneration on Lytham Road and that is it’s passenger numbers have increased over the last two years. These are the latest figures:
South Station
2005/06: 83,004
2006/07: 94,094
2007/08: 105,192
Rather than close it, I would extend the line to the Central carpark site and build a conference centre on top of it which could be used as an indoor music venue with one of the best transport links in the country. I would also build a loop line at Lytham and double the stations capacity to two trains and hour and I would build a cafe at the station, something a bit more welcoming then what is there presently.
Although it’s sad Blackpool South isn’t what it was we are so lucky to still have it and should see it as an asset not something to be removed for another carpark.
Well done Phil, perhaps GM cant be all bad,this so called conservative council wants to conserve an asset by destroying it to make land available for DEVELOPERS!
Filthy rottten bent bastard council or what???,led by that steroid bloated, crinkly,festering, piss perspiring,scally/prune skinned Myra Hindley lookalike Maxine Callow, whose existence is an affront to all upright mass murders and rapists in the world today.
Lets see GM start to do just that, attack Callow with the upmost vehemence and vitueration; without relent.
They are supposed to be planning Phase 3 of the Central Corridor which is basically the ugly car park where South Station sits. So I agree they should keep South station but sort out the area around it because at present it looks awful. Hopefully if they work the same magic they have on the other Central Corridor phases (which local muppet Hamish Howitt blasted ‘a waste of money’) then it will be a much more welcoming entrance to South Shore.
Hamish who? lol