Councillors clash over Fleetwood projects funding in County budget

County Coun Lorraine Beavers, the Labour member for Fleetwood East, slammed the ruling Conservatives for rejecting the Labour budget plans for the financial year 2021/2.

The Labour budget included a range of county-wide proposals, including calls for the County Council to make available £500,000 towards costs associated with the restoration of the Fleetwood to Poulton rail link.

Another proposal was for the council to make provisions for another £500,000 towards the campaign/feasibility study for the ambitious 120MW tidal energy scheme in Fleetwood, which is being put together by the group Natural Energy Wyre (NEW).

The Conservative-led County Council approved by majority vote that council tax will increase by 3.99% to fund an extra £17million to be spent on roads, flood defences and walking and cycling schemes after the authority set its’ budget for the coming financial year.

Labour had proposed an increase of 1.99%, which was voted against

Coun Beavers said that in rejecting the Labour budget, the Conservative leadership at County Hall had blocked opportunities to assist with two of the most vital infrastructure projects to help Fleetwood’s future.

But Coun Stephen Clarke, the Conservative member for Fleetwood West and Cleveleys West, said he supported both the Fleetwood rail link and the tidal energy scheme but he said Coun Beavers was making such demands for political capital.

Fleetwood lost its rail link in 1970 as part of the controversial Beeching cuts.

Coun Beavers said: “Fleetwood is a town which has no rail link and is served by a still horrendously congested trunk road, the A585, made worse because the town is on an peninsular.

“What the town needs is connectivity to make its recovery possible.

“Sadly, Fleetwood now has probably the worst town centre in Lancashire and the town is losing out on job opportunities which instead are going to Poulton industrial estate because that town has a rail link and is nearer to the motorway.

“When Boris Johnson visited Wyre before the elections he said he would support Fleetwood’s rail link with Poulton but what is happening?

“i have tried to get support for both of these vital projects but once again the ruling Conservative group at Lancashire County Council, including Fleetwood Conservative County Councillor Steve Clarke, rejected these proposals.”

Coun Clarke said: “I am from Fleetwood and I am all for the town having its rail link restored, I know how important it is.

“I prefer the option put forward by Paul Maynard (Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys) which is for the railway to be linked up to the tram system, similar to the way it is in Manchester, and I believe that has a better chance of actually happening.

“The Government has already pledged £100,000 for a feasibility study to be carried out to look into the best way forward.

“Coun Beavers is just making this kind of political point because an election is coming up.”

The two councillors have both voiced support for the multi-million tidal energy scheme being proposed for Fleetwood.

But while Coun Beavers advocated financial support from Lancashire County Council, Coun Clarke said NEW was already looking at private investment into the project.

Labour proposed that capital funding for the Fleetwood projects and 12 other schemes across Lancashire, including Eden Project North in Morecambe, could be funded by the authority’s transitional reserve, as a one-off contribution of £14million.