The bid for a judicial review over the decision to close the Lauderdale Avenue crossing between Little Bispham and Cleveleys on the Blackpool Tramway has been thrown out by the Court with the applicant even being given £2,000 costs for bringing the action. In making the decision the Judge said that the closure had been subjected to sufficient scrutiny and that there was no case no answer. Despite this latest setback local residents have vowed to carry on their fight to get the crossing reopened.
As has been reported extensively this crossing has become a huge battleground since the Council decided it needed to be closed to aid faster journey times on the upgraded tramway and to help to make it safer. Local residents – supported by their two local Councillors – have fought the decision ever since and it has gone back and forth to the Council seeking a reversal but time after time the same decision has been made: to close the crossing to traffic. The argument has been that the crossing maintains a vital link for resident s – the emergency services have also apparently said the access across the tracks is vital – although there are two other road crossings in very close proximity. When the
crossing was finally ripped up a pedestrian crossing across the tracks was provided but this was not enough to placate the residents.
The residents are now seeking further legal advice to see what other steps they can take but they are determined not to let the matter rest and so, unfortunately, this story seems just to be rumbling on and on and on.