Council refuses to comment on suspensions after behind-closed-doors meeting over heritage trams
PLUS: Two blows for hospitality in Blackpool and an exclusive story for subscribers
Hello and welcome to the final edition of The Blackpool Lead before Christmas.
Before we get into today’s main news story, we have a few pieces of important information to share with you.
The first is a big thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy of The Blackpool Lead in print over the last week. Even in the modern age of journalism, it is still rewarding to see your work in physical form out in the wild and being read so widely.
And a big hello to everyone who hit the QR code on their copy of the newspaper or typed in The Blackpool Lead to find us and is now a subscriber as a result. It’s great to have you on board.
With our next newsletter sends set to fall on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, we won’t be writing to you on those days.
We are, though, still working hard through the next fortnight and any breaking news may result in us sending extra editions on different days.
And finally, in today’s newsletter, due to the nature of the events calendar over the next week, we will instead be providing paid subscribers with a bonus exclusive story rather than our usual recommendations.
That story will be followed up with a full feature - free to all - in next week’s edition. As a teaser, it focuses on the idea of building an arena in Blackpool and if any progress has been made (spoiler: it has).
Thank you for your continued support and we hope you’re able to enjoy the next seven days in whatever way works best for you. Merry Christmas.
By Michael Holmes
Britain’s railway regulator visited Blackpool shortly before the shock decision to halt the resort’s heritage trams, it has emerged.
The revelation comes as council chiefs refused to comment on the suggestion that at least one senior member of tramway staff has since been suspended.
The Office of Road and Rail, the independent economic and safety watchdog for the country’s rail network, came to Blackpool in October and November and met with the “full management team”, Blackpool Transport managing director Jane Cole said.
Her statement follows claims from one source, who requested anonymity, that two senior staff members have been suspending pending an investigation. The Blackpool Lead has chosen not to name the workers.
A separate figure, who is close to the decision-making process and also asked to remain anonymous, said they had been aware of at least one pending suspension following the ORR’s inspection and corroborated one of the names.
A council spokesperson would not be drawn on the issue, saying the authority will not answer questions about “staffing”.
Cole said: “We work closely with the ORR and keep them fully informed of key information. During their recent visits … they met with the full management team and, as always, we were completely open and honest with them.
“As previously stated, the decision to suspend the service is to give us the time to address operational issues. We have an opportunity to invest in and install new safety standard technology on our heritage vehicles, ensuring they meet the same high safety standards as our LRT services.
“While it may not be a regulatory requirement to implement these upgrades for operation, we believe doing so represents best practice and demonstrates our commitment to the highest levels of safety.”
After a visit in 2022, the ORR ordered improvements at Blackpool Transport’s Rigby Road depot, reportedly impacting the workshop capacity for the heritage tram fleet, which uses the site as its base.
A spokesperson for the regulator said it carries out “regular inspections across Britain’s railways” but added: “We don’t publish reports that may be produced following visits.”
The ORR does publish improvement notices on its website; as of Friday morning, its list of orders issued in 2024 contains no reference to Blackpool. Its most recent order was issued on November 11.
Blackpool Transport sparked anger last week when it announced that its heritage tram tours would be suspended - before later promising to get them back on track by the summer.
It has cited safety issues, though bosses have been told they have “serious questions” to answer about the reasons behind the suspension.
The timing of the decision, which led to thousands of people signing at least two petitions calling for the service to be saved, raised eyebrows, with it coming just before the start of the Holiday Express Christmas service, which saw passengers charged up to £20 for a ride through the Illuminations on the Illuminated Western Train tram.
Conservative councillor Emma Ellison, told The Blackpool Lead previously: “I know how popular the service is and that it gets fully booked very quickly, particularly at this time of year, so to suspend the service suddenly at this time of the year when it has bookings is a big red flag to me and financial reasons seem like the only answer to me, although I don’t know that for sure at the moment.”
In a statement, leader of the Labour-run council Lynn Williams said: “When people think of Blackpool they think of the tower, the piers, the beaches and of course our magnificent fleet of heritage trams.
“While there may a temporary pause in service, they absolutely are not going away. I, like everyone else in Blackpool, look forward to seeing them return in 2025.
“The decision to suspend the heritage tours is not a decision that Blackpool Transport Services has taken lightly but it is a necessary step to ensure that they can run effectively and safely in the future alongside the modern trams.”
Blackpool restaurant told once again by council it can't keep glazed extension
Planners have turned down a Blackpool restaurant’s bid to keep its glazed extension, saying it conflicts with policies designed to protect the character of the Promenade.
The Eating Inn in South Shore had hoped its revised application would appease town hall planners who had already refused a previous scheme for the venue.
The retrospective application for the development, which was built to enable the business to continue trading during Covid, said improvements had been made to the glazed dining area including creating a more solid roof.
Micropub refused late night licence over Christmas due to fears over drunken behaviour
A Blackpool bar has been refused permission to serve booze until the early hours of the morning during Christmas week because it is too close to people’s homes.
The Thirsty Ale House on Church Street had sought permission from Blackpool Council for a temporary event notice (TEN) to extend its closing time by four hours over two nights, from the usual 11pm to 3am starting on Boxing Day.
It would have allowed customers visiting the venue to drink until 3am on December 27 and 28.
And now to our bonus story…
Investors approach Blackpool over idea for state-of-the-art arena
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