Transport bosses have "serious questions" to answer over axing of heritage trams
PLUS: The reaction of a man from Syria who has been watching the news from his Blackpool flat
Hello and welcome to this mid-December edition of The Blackpool Lead.
Today we report exclusively on an issue close to the heart of many in Blackpool - the suspension of the heritage trams service.
The ‘temporary’ shutdown of the heritage trams service has this week sparked two separate petitions and one of the town’s MPs, Chris Webb, to call for conversations over their future.
The move has been attributed to ‘general safety and maintenance conflicts’ but the government body responsible for safety on Britain’s railways has directly contradicted that there any issues.
And two well-placed sources have told The Blackpool Lead that the decision is mainly financial. Blackpool Council did not respond to that claim but Blackpool Transport insist their future is secure.
We’re able to report exclusively on these issues thanks to the hard investigative work of our reporters. If you can, please consider taking a paid subscription to support thoughtful, thorough journalism in Blackpool.
We also have reaction from a Syrian man living in Blackpool after the removal of President Assad in his home country.
And, as ever, our recommendations for the week ahead for paying subscribers.
Thank you for reading.
By Michael Holmes
Transport bosses have been told they have some “serious questions” to answer about the reasons behind the shock decision to halt Blackpool’s heritage trams.
Opposition councillor Emma Ellison spoke out as the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the government department responsible for the safety regulation of Britain’s railways, appeared to distance itself from suggestions the suspension - in place until at least next summer - is down to safety fears.
After Blackpool Transport said “ensuring the ongoing safety and sustainability of the service has become increasingly complex”, with the introduction of “advanced safety systems, including the obstacle detection assistance system and the collision and overspeed monitoring and prevention assistance system”, the ORR said it has not been involved and such safety measures are “not required” to run the vintage fleet, which can be safely driven by eye.
The timing of the suspension, which led to thousands of people signing at least two petitions calling for the service to be saved, has also raised eyebrows, with it coming just before the start of Holiday Express Christmas service, which saw passengers charged up to £20 for a ride through the Illuminations on the Illuminated Western Train tram.
Tickets were on sale for rides on December 14-15 and 20-23 and had sold out. They have now been refunded, a town hall spokesperson said.
Cllr Ellison, who represents the Norbreck ward for the Conservatives, told The Blackpool Lead: “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.”
She said the council-owned Blackpool Transport’s initial announcement of the suspension, which led to fears the heritage service had been axed indefinitely, and a follow-up statement, which said the trams will return by the summer, “don’t answer any questions as to why this decision was made so suddenly”.
She added: “If it was safety concerns, they could say what the issue is and how it will be dealt with. But I can’t imagine that during the busy Christmas season they would just stop them without some sort of incident occurring. So some serious questions need to be asked of the council and Blackpool Transport to find out how this situation has been allowed to happen and find out where we go from here.”
Cllr Ellison said there has been no “suggestion” of any “safety issues and no incidents I am aware of so straight away I felt that there must be more to this than the original statement let on”.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is not currently investigating any crashes involving trams on the Fylde coast.
Two sources have told The Blackpool Lead the service has been suspended mainly for financial reasons.
Questions to Blackpool Transport boss Jane Cole, including whether the heritage services makes a loss and how finances have impacted its decision, have gone unanswered.
The Blackpool Lead also asked about any specific safety fears.
In a statement, council leader 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 Transport’s latest accounts show a £139,205 profit for the 2024 financial year, compared to a £1.6m loss the year before. However, they do not mention the heritage service, which runs along the Prom alongside the modern Flexity trams and has been operating since 2014.
“End of the line?” The Gazette asked on Tuesday as it reported: “Blackpool’s much-loved heritage trams have reached the end of the line - for the time being at least.”
It quoted a Blackpool Transport statement as saying: “Following a thorough review, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our heritage tram tours.
“Operating the heritage trams alongside our modern fleet has become increasingly challenging, with issues such as depot space, tram movements, general safety and maintenance conflicts making it difficult to continue running the service effectively.
“This decision was not taken lightly, but we believe it is the most practical step to support the evolving needs of our business and maintain the overall efficiency of our operations.
“As part of our efforts to future-proof and safely grow our core tram network following the North Station extension, we are introducing advanced safety systems, including the obstacle detection assistance system and the collision and overspeed monitoring and prevention assistance system.
“These technologies are essential to maintaining safety, especially during busy times such as the summer, Illuminations and festive seasons.
“The systems will allow us to improve operational efficiency and ensure the sustainability of the network.”
It continued: “The heritage trams are a cherished part of Blackpool’s history and we fully recognise their importance to the community. However, ensuring the ongoing safety and sustainability of the service has become increasingly complex.
“This pause provides an opportunity to reflect on the role of heritage trams within a modernised and safe tramway network.
“By reassessing their operation, we aim to explore new ways to honour Blackpool’s rich transport heritage while maintaining our commitment to a safe, efficient and future-focused service.
“We are dedicated to finding innovative opportunities to honour and showcase Blackpool’s iconic tramway history, and thanks for your understanding as we work towards this.”
After a public backlash, with Cllr Diane Mitchell calling the news a “terrible day” for the resort, Cole and Williams both promised the suspension is temporary.
Cole said: “I can confirm that the future of our heritage trams is safe and we aim to have them back on the Promenade next year. However, before that can happen there are a number of complex operational issues that need to be addressed.”
The Blackpool Lead’s request for more information on the specific issues went unanswered.
Blackpool South MP Chris Webb said the decision to halt the heritage trams over Christmas is “very disappointing” and “short-sighted” and said many constituents have contacted him with their concerns.
The Labour politician said: “Our heritage trams are also a vital part of Blackpool’s culture. Their integration with our modern tramways embodies how our town honours tradition while constantly innovating under our motto of Progress.”
He added: “I am requesting an urgent meeting with Blackpool Transport to seek further clarification on the specific concerns around the trams’ safety and efficiency as well as a more specific timeframe for when the general public can expect the trams to return and I will be keeping my constituents informed.”
The heritage fleet is kept at Blackpool Transport’s Rigby Road depot, which is also home to the Tramtown museum run by volunteers.
A spokesperson for the ORR told The Blackpool Lead: “ORR has not been involved in Blackpool Transport’s decision.
“Heritage tramways are required to assess the risks relating to collision between heritage trams and members of the public and implement any reasonably practicable controls identified.
“This will include light-of-sight operation.
“We have not required them to install obstacle detection or overspeed technology.”
A council spokesperson said the decision to axe the heritage trams was discussed at a board meeting not open to the public. Williams was not present.
“I want to see with my own eyes, and to help rebuild…”
Essam Sannoufi 39, from Syria, watched the news wide eyed from his Blackpool flat. First Aleppo, then his native Homs and then Damascus fell to the rebels. When finally and quickly the president himself was overthrown, Essam was stunned.
“I was seeing it but I didn’t believe it. My feeling was very strange; a mixture of joy and shock.”
Essam was transferred to Blackpool in 2016 by the United Nations. He needed specialist surgery following a sniper’s bullet though the abdomen. He had been part of the resistance against Assad in Homs, using his graphic design skills to create banners and leaflets against the regime.
“All Syrians talk together online. It’s because of the massive displacement of people. You will not find close friends in the same country; in my case five friends, four countries. So we all watched it together in real time. The most important part for me was seeing the statue of Assad’s dad come down in Homs. Then I knew it was all over.
“It was a cruel regime that was in place before I was born, which took the life of my friends and attempted to take my own.
“I am very interested in politics. But the European media is focusing on the rebels as potential terrorists. Syrian people are not extremists. We have learned a lot these years of Assad. We will not allow any dictator to control Syria again. Syrians are educated and they will press for this never to be repeated. I am certain.”
How does he feel about returning? “It’s complicated. For me I’ve been here eight and a half years. The process of integration has been a great deal of effort, but now we are established.
“I studied, graduated in IT from Blackpool and Fylde College - I was English Student of the year! I have a Ukrainian wife; both of us work and we have a baby now. I’m very grateful to the UK for this.
“But it’s been my dream to see the end of Assad and see the rebuilding of my country.
“So I am planning to visit, as are most people I know. I want to see with my own eyes, and to help rebuild in some way.”
You can hear more from Essam on when he arrived in Blackpool in 2022 on The Other Side of Blackpool Podcast.
Want to read more on this? Our national colleagues have a piece from human rights campaigner and journalist Ghias Al-Jundi who fled Syria nearly three decades ago after being hunted by Bashar Al-Assad's father, Hafez. Full story here.
Every resident in Blackpool deserves to live in an affordable, warm home. Cosy Homes in Lancashire offers a straightforward way to do just that, with energy-efficient upgrades like better insulation, eco-friendly heating systems, new windows, and much more. Check your eligibility today.
New hotel opposite Winter Gardens finally gets approval
By Shelagh Parkinson
Plans to build a new hotel alongside Blackpool’s Winter Gardens complex have finally received full approval after landscaping concerns were resolved.
The scheme for a five-storey development with 266 bedrooms had stalled after councillors deferred making a decision at their meeting in November.
But after the applicant came back with revised proposals for the tree planting including a commitment to pay £26,000 towards off-site tree planting, the council’s Planning Committee gave the go ahead for the investment.
Planning permission was already in place but developers had been seeking consent for reserved matters, which includes important design details for the site.
The updated proposals include planting trees in the ground along Leopold Grove, Alfred Street and Adelaide Street. Hopes of putting 26 ornamental trees in planters at first floor level were dashed as they would be too heavy.
Instead the applicant agreed to pay £26,000 towards off-site tree planting. However the first floor planters will be retained and used for shrubbery instead.
The land, which is owned by Blackpool Council, has been used as a car park in recent years. But it is now hoped developers C1 Capital Partners Ltd and Mottrom Estates can begin work soon. Their brands include Hilton London Olympia and a Mercure hotel in Northampton.
Architects Studio Moren says in a design statement it has used strong facade geometry to “achieve a contemporary building of its time and place” including a corner feature on the junctions of Adelaide Street with Leopold Grove, and Adelaide Street with Alfred Street.
Regeneration chiefs believe having a modern hotel next to the Winter Gardens is key to attracting larger conferences to the venue including its £30m Conference and Exhibition Centre which officially opened in March 2022.
Additional checks have been carried out on Blackpool’s seafront Star Flyer ride after a similar machine “crashed to the ground” in Birmingham.
Two women were reportedly taken to hospital and another 11 thrill-seekers were checked by paramedics after the Christmas fairground ride failed in the West Midlands city last night.
Two men, aged 55 and 21, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and obstructing officers, police said.
This week, The Lead has written about the challenges being faced by mental health charities - including here in Blackpool.
Around half of those referred to Blackpool’s Counselling in the Community come from the NHS, Hutton-Brown says, including people with schizophrenia and psychosis.
“It feels like they’re sending us the people they don’t want to deal with,” he says. “Some people come from a lifetime of trauma. But they’re out of our paygrade. We don’t work to a medical model, which some people need.”
You can read the full investigation here.
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