The plans by the Friends of Fleetwood Trams for a museum in the old Copse Road depot in Fleetwood have been dealt a blow following the news that Wyre Borough Council have approved plans for a new waste and recycling depot right next to the historic Tramroad depot. However, despite this blow John Woodman from the Friends has pledged that the museum will still go-ahead.
Wyre Borough Council’s planning committee approved the plans for the waste depot which is being developed on current Council land which has been used for a similar purpose in the past but many of the buildings on the site have been unused in recent times due to safety concerns. The Council announced plans to redevelop the area in October of this year and after the statutory period of consultation the Planning Committee decided the plans could go ahead. It is hoped that 150 jobs will be created at the new depot.
The problem with the development is that a new large building (believed to be 25 feet high) is due to be constructed less than 5 feet away from the old Copse Road tram depot which will block out most natural sunlight from inside the building. The Friends asked the Council to look at moving the new building to the other side of the development but it was said that if this was done it would create access problems.
English Heritage were approached with a view to getting the building listed but this was incredibly rejected and with the only objections coming from the Friends of Fleetwood Trams and the nearby Fleetwood Car Centre (who own the old tram depot and are leasing it to the Friends) the planning committee decided the plans should be approved as they stood. It is hoped that the work will be completed by April 2012.
John Woodman from the Friends was, unsurprisingly, not impressed: “I think the three minutes we got to raise objections in front of the committee was something of a show trial. There are a lot of determined people who support our proposals for the town. It’s evident they are not represented in this council chamber. There are other Government organisations and private individuals, not to mention private groups, who are looking forward to seeing this scheme be successful.”
Although as tram enthusiasts we will all want the Friends plans for Copse Road Depot to go ahead with very little fuss we must all appreciated where the Council is coming from. The creation of 150 jobs in the current economic climate has to be approved and unfortunately that does mean other things have to suffer. As much as the Friends plans should be commended they are never likely to create much employment in the town. And let’s not forget that Mr Woodman and the Friends are still planning to go ahead with their plans (which is the first of three museums in the town planned) for Copse Road Depot so
hopefully Fleetwood will get the best of both worlds – employment and heritage.