Urban Splash & MTC

[brian]

That's hardly a photo of what's there now. Indoor pool gone, outdoor pool gone, small funfair/jugs of tea gone. Basically to the left of the dome there's nothing.

Jasond, there's some suggestion in your posts that the council and US are somehow working together to avoid confrontation with the public. Or have I mis-understood comments such as Or is this part of their plan and That's why Lanc CC and US are playing the softly, softly game and not getting involved in any live meetings Perhaps you can explain what you mean?

[WillowTheWhisp]

Jul 12, 2010 20:12:45 GMT brian said:

That's hardly a photo of what's there now. Indoor pool gone, outdoor pool gone, small funfair/jugs of tea gone. Basically to the left of the dome there's nothing.

Good point Brian, but it was the most up to date aerial image I could find. In fact that makes it all the more relevant that something needs doing with the area as it is a wasteland of nothingness at the mo.

[brian]

Just about sums up the town, in Jim Bowen style "look what we used to have". Nothing but memories.

[hairydog]

I'm not sure i agree with that Brian.
Look what we have.
4 amazing indoor concert venues.
Vast amounts of good parking and accomodation.
Stunning views on a fantastic coastline.
Blackpool 35 minuites one way and the Lakes 35 minuites the other.
Heaps of buisiness locations for all sizes.
All its missing is a bright spark with the guns to risk investing a few quid.

If i was in charge i would be talking to Band managers, Buisness managers and actually start marketing the place instead of waiting for people to find us.
And why don't we have beach parties and barbecue's?
Look at the amaont of people who used to come for the Light and Water Festival.
What idiot stopped that?
This place has alsorts of posibilities.
It just needs a council that will get off its butt to bring them here.
Frontierland?
Why doesn't someone in the council lean on Morrisons and agree to clear the land, put some grass on it and invite Fun Fairs to use it?

I started my business with nothing and everything i used to get it going was FREE.
Someone with "Councillor" before their name should be getting much much more than what these clowns are getting for us.
The Urban Splash project costs £86 million and our lazy council will love it because they will all get their backhander "probably with a rooftop penthouse" for doing little more than conning us all that its great for Morecambe and signing a ballot paper.
They are very lazy fat cat wannabee's

[WillowTheWhisp]

4 amazing indoor concert venues? Crumbs I thought there was only the Platform left and I wouldn't describe that as an amazing venue. What are the others like and where are they? I know there used to be more with the Winter Gardens and the Alhambra but even the Dome is gone now.

The Light and Water festivals were great, but didn't the sponsors pull out?

[jasond]

trev I'm sorry I've found my medication and won't be silly again.

The problem seems to me that someone has come along and put a plan for the Prom and that is being promoted as the only choice. The 'do nothing' alternative is not popular because there are no resources for encouraging shows at the Dome, WG and events on the Prom. If 'Morecambe tourism' was run as a business instead of a Council service like bin-collecting, always under scrutiny for ways to cut costs, it could be different.

My unfounded suspicion is that LCC like the plan because it gets 'Morecambe Prom' off their backs and, even better, could generate revenue from Council Tax and residential unit sales. That's all tippex-ed out in the Freedom of Information response. If the plan was to do this on the old Frontierland site, the plans would have been passed some time ago, but LCC can't give that to US.

My pessimistic forecast is that the plans will be approved for, say, 200 bedsi...studios to appease the slightly-anti, but not the head-bangers like me and MHPPS and ...? When it all goes horribly wrong in 2-4 years because of recession, bankruptcy, flooding, whatever we will be left with a sub-judice building site. It's too high a set of risks, in my opinion, for such an important site. There'll be no going back.

However, as my wife says when I'm getting into my Bull Elephant suit, "Why don't you just shut the front door and forget about them all?"

[trevnhil]

Hi Jason....

You made me smile re the 'meds'

I actually agree with a lot of what you say. I don't believe there is a 'Do Nothing' option. I was under the impression that there is an agreement between the council and US to allow them to develop the land in question.

My opinion is that the big oblong blocks are ugly. And I cannot see who is likely to occupy all the dwellings, that have by some people been labeled as 'bedsits'

Some form of entertainment venue would to my mind be good, but it is like the chicken and the egg situation. Who is going to come to whatever attractions are provided.

There are difficult decisions to be made and these financially desperate times so not help.

Re.... "However, as my wife says when I'm getting into my Bull Elephant suit, "Why don't you just shut the front door and forget about them all?"

;D I have given up rantings on any forum that I am on, and if you Google 'trevnhil' you will see I am on a few. I am on Beta Blocker Meds, so maybe that helps.

Finally as you can see I am not in the area, so I suppose I could just forget it........ But I won't ;D

Cheers. Trev..

[mpprh]

New buildings can be inspirational and look good.

Some from Montpellier (they had an area the military didn't need so started to redevelop it in 1975) :









It doesn't threaten the best of the old city charm :







and imaginative ideas have energised "boring" bits :







I'm not saying that Morecambe should look like this, but I am saying that the Morecambe proposals lack flair.

Peter

[brian]

I actually agree with a lot of what you say. I don't believe there is a 'Do Nothing' option. I was under the impression that there is an agreement between the council and US to allow them to develop the land in question.

My recollection is that when Urban Splash agreed to spend £11million on the Midland to bring an eyesore back to life, the council agreed to give them first refusal on any promenade developments around the hotel. That's where any suggestion of colaboration comes from and it's nothing anyone has told me privately, that's what was reported at the time.

[jasond]

Yes that's what I heard. Then come the supplemental questions like who will own the land on which the development may stand (currently it's our land - LCC) and if it's US by how much did the the tax payers of Morecambe and Heysham benefit? Or what's the rent? And if residential units are built who pockets the profit? Why isn't LCC eager to tell us about a great deal it's doing on our behalf? Why did the Freedom of Info request that's in the public domain have not just the 'sensitive commercial detail' tippexed out, but also the headings covering it in the table of contents? Surely it's right for us to know what sort of info has been withheld for arguably valid reasons?

Aren't these simple questions that Councillors elected by us ought to answer?

[hairydog]

Brian,
I have worked in construction for 24 years on some of the biggest contracts in the country at the highest level.
You would never believe how dirty this industry is. (it equals the Mafia on its worst day)
I have seen it all and make a good living from its dirtyness.
Morecambe is my home.
I love the place and the people.
I have seen small communities being mugged and have taken part in mugging small communities with my work.
The only word i can find for this project is "Rape"
They intend to use and abuse Morecambe like a cheap hooker
The big players in this deal made one mistake.
They didn't realise a big big player lived here and cares for the place.
So i will blow the whistle.
If Urban Trash and our counciil had any good intentions they would happily arrange the contract on a leasehold agreement.
But that will never happen because our council members are already bought.

[brian]

Jul 14, 2010 21:15:13 GMT hairydog said:

Brian,
I have worked in construction for 24 years on some of the biggest contracts in the country at the highest level.
You would never believe how dirty this industry is. (it equals the Mafia on its worst day)
I have seen it all and make a good living from its dirtyness.
Morecambe is my home.
I love the place and the people.
I have seen small communities being mugged and have taken part in mugging small communities with my work.
The only word i can find for this project is "Rape"
They intend to use and abuse Morecambe like a cheap hooker
The big players in this deal made one mistake.
They didn't realise a big big player lived here and cares for the place.
So i will blow the whistle.
If Urban Trash and our counciil had any good intentions they would happily arrange the contract on a leasehold agreement.
But that will never happen because our council members are already bought.

That's quite an accusation, especially the last sentence. Is that your whistle blown or do you have facts and figures to back it up? I've no idea who the big player is, can you enlighten us? Is it you?

I also care for the place and if I had to choose between US and our council to run the town, give me US any day.

[accykeef]

I would not like to speculate on what, if any, dodgy dealings have been going on but I just wish the truth of what has been promised to who would be made public. If Urban Splash have got first refusal on the development, what are their limitations. Do they have permission to build the first daft idea they come up with (like the proposed one) or is this subject to passing certain design standards.

There appears to be many people against any form of development in the area around the Midland and a number of those are loud members of the Council. There have been quite a few objections so what is the next stage?

If the proposed plan is the best that UK architects can come up with then it is time to cancel all university architectural courses and save some money. There were many proposed plans and only a few made it too the final stage, I wonder what better options were rejected?

Did LCC / US ask for ideas of how the land could be used or did they issue some guidelines as to what the proposal must contain. I am all in favour of developing that area but not for it to become a bedsit / DHSS / single parent / dosser's paradise, which in these desperate times could very easily happen and the future of Morecambe would be sealed..

[jasond]

There's an LCC driven session in Morecambe library on Thursday afternoon about the Morecambe Area Action Plan. More about it here:
lancaster-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal
It doesn't mention the US proposals directly!

[accykeef]

Thanks for the information Jason.
What is an LCC driven session when it's at home?
Has this been advertised anywhere?
I left my contact details when I attended the 'Local Action Plan' meeting at the Trimpell so that I could be kept informed about events.
Since that meeting I have heard absolutely nothing.
As for the LCC consultation portal - Why does everything the Council do have to be long winded and complicated?
Perhaps it's complexity is the reason that only 3 people have bothered to respond, unless there are more responses buried away within.