Sponsored by
Council losing thousands on ghost train ride
A GHOST train that has so far cost Blackpool Council £285,000 has taken just over £11,000 since it opened last October.
Carnesky's Ghost Train arrived at the Winter Gardens to a great fanfare – but just 2,234 people have ridden on it in almost four months. It will take centre-stage for this month's Showzam magic festival after being suspended temporarily while the Winter Gardens hosted the pigeon show and will go into storage following the event later this month.
Carnesky's – which costs 5 per ride – could be re-located on the Promenade close to the Sandcastle this summer.
The cost of the attraction so far was revealed after Lib Dem councillor Robert Wynne raised the issue at a full council meeting.
Coun Wynne said: "I was astounded when I found out how much it had cost the council. I think it's astonishing. It might be a great ride, but unfortunately not enough people have been to see it.
"It's an enormous amount of money, which could have been spent on attracting shows and entertainment to other parts of Blackpool instead of being spent on an arty ghost train."
Coun Simon Blackburn, chairman of the audit committee at Blackpool Council, added: "It's laughable. Sometimes the council think they know what the people of Blackpool want and these figures clearly show they are wrong.
"The council should be spending money on things that matter to the people who live and work in the resort. How many of the people who have used this so-called attraction actually live here?
"There needs to be some serious investigations being carried out as to why the authority was allowed to spend this sort of money."
The council bought the train for a nominal cost of 1p but has since spent 113,000 refurbishing it, including fitting a new engine.
The rest of the cash has been spent on renting Olympia in the Winter Gardens and training the actors who act as the "ghosts" on the ride.
It was decided to start operating the train before Christmas to test it ahead of Showzam.
David Simon, manager of the Who store on Victoria Street, Blackpool: "It's ridiculous. All the advertising they did in the run up to Christmas and they have this to show for it.
"Someone should ask as to how the council was able to spend that amount of cash on something which has failed to generate any real money for the town."
Blackpool Council has been given 3.5m from the North West Development Agency.
But in order to receive this cash, the local authority has to spend 875,000 from its own budget on events and festivals in the resort.
The money spent on the ghost train has come from this 875,000.
Only certain events – unique to Blackpool – are eligible for the funding due to restrictions from the NWDA, which is why the decision was taken to buy the train for the Showzam magic festival.
Other match-funding has been used to support beach volleyball.
Coun Maxine Callow, cabinet member for tourism and regeneration, said: "The money has to be spent on something we can build on each year and Showzam is aimed at extending our season.
"It's the long-term view we are looking at. We didn't expect the train to start on day one and make a million.
"We're hoping people will come to Showzam and with the added attraction of the ghost train, and other events within the festival, we can build this up into something which draws in thousands of people and extends our season.
"You have to have courage these days and be forward thinking, and that's what we're doing."
Claire Smith, vice-president of StayBlackpool, said: "Blackpool needs new attractions like this ghost train. It would have been a lot more successful had the attraction opened before or during the Illuminations.
"It is not a massive amount of people who have used it yet but I am sure that number will increase as the season progresses."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Blackpool
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
