I’d love Fleetwood to have a ferry to the Isle of Man and a rebuilt pier
From restored piers to ferry links Fleetwood residents have shared their dreams for a town brimming with opportunity and nostalgia.
Locals long for cleaner air, family entertainment, bustling shops and the return of the fishing industry - painting a vision of the town as it once was and could be again.
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Barbara Humphreys, said: "Fleetwood would be an even better place to be if it had a ferry to the Isle of Man and a rebuilt pier.
“Reopen the Motorboat Lake and the little train that used to go along the front.. Everything I remember from my childhood that made Fleetwood great! I remember my Dad taking us to watch the trawlers coming in and being unloaded of all their fish. It was so exciting but we can't have that back, I know.”
Adele Blackburn, said: “Cinema, train station, fishing fleet.”
From nostalgia to ambition, locals are dreaming big. Some want a direct bridge to Knott End, modern train stations connected to the national network and ferry services linking Fleetwood to Ireland, Liverpool, and the Isle of Man.
Others imagine a revitalised Lord Street, filled with shops, a cinema, family play areas and even Marks & Spencer returning to the high street.
The fishing industry, once at the heart of Fleetwood’s identity, features prominently in memories and aspirations.
Gary Roberts, said: “A restored shopping centre and a decent Indian restaurant.”
Clean air and improved infrastructure also top the list. Residents mention reducing landfill smells, better policing, maintained roads and pavements and modern facilities like dehumidifiers and air filters to improve quality of life.
Suggestions range from entertainment options like crazy golf and indoor play areas, to bigger-picture ideas like enterprise zones for employment and pedestrianised streets lined with independent shops.
For many, it’s about restoring pride and opportunity.
Jode Brooke, said: “Better employment opportunities.”
Angela Tebay, said: “Money spent on it to get big shops back on to Lord Street bring people in entertainment bowling things for families to do.”
Michael Collins calls for a modern railway station; Sharon Couch wants a council that truly listens.