'Cinderella' landaus in demand on Blackpool Prom

Half of Blackpool's landau fleet could soon be 'novelty' style carriages instead of the traditional vehicles if the latest licence application is approved by councillors.

Susanna Bebbington has applied to the council to licence a Cinderella horse-drawn hackney carriage, with the bid due to be considered by the council's public protection sub-committee on Tuesday.

A report to the committee says between October 2010 and May this year, 21 non-traditional carriages have been licensed.

If Ms Bebbington's application succeeds, it will mean the 44-strong landau fleet is made up of 22 non-traditional style vehicles.

The council agreed in September 2010 to permit any style of carriage "however any carriages that were not of the traditional style were required to

be produced before the sub-committee for approval", the report states.

The changes were made in response to demand for alternative style horse-drawn rides along the Promenade.

The applicant has been invited to attend the meeting and bring the carriage for inspection by members of the sub-committee.

There was controversy when the first two Cinderella vehicles made their debut in 2009, amid fears the novelty carriages were out of character with the traditional landaus.

Blackpool’s chairman of licensing Coun Adrian Hutton has previously said the town did not "want to lose all of the traditional carriages but we have to recognise the new style ones are very popular."

Speaking in 2014, he added “There might come a time when we say no more".

Landau operators say the Cinderella carriages have become popular because people can see out of them even when it is raining, while the traditional landaus have to put their hoods up in bad weather.

Each application to licence a carriage is considered by the sub-committee on its own merit.