Fleetwood MP Cat Smith praises plans for town's new urban park

The plans, designed by Landscape Projects, outline a new "Custom House Square" on the area of Custom House Lane car park, which overlooks Fleetwood Market in Victoria Street.

Wyre Council will run a public consultation until June 6, and residents are invited to give their feedback on the designs.

It was hoped that the space would "bring a breath of fresh air to the area," the council said, with new lighting, seating, plus additional street trees and planting.

Extra room to hold occasional small events is also part of the plans, and they look to keep existing trees in place, along with the same number of accessible car parking spaces.

Fleetwood MP Cat Smith welcomed the plans, which she hoped would improve mental wellbeing for people who live in the town.

Ms Smith said: “I’m totally in favour of creating more green spaces. There are huge benefits to doing so. Having a local park improves our mental wellbeing and encourages us to take more exercise.

"Green areas also provide us with social spaces where we can meet our friends to enjoy a natter.

"They also provide the opportunity for us to plant more trees which in turn helps support local wildlife.

"Urban green spaces improve our air quality, reduce the potential for flooding and they make our towns more attractive to visit."

Councillor for Fleetwood's Pharos ward Colette Fairbanks also applauded the proposed scheme.

She added: "Any investment in Fleetwood is always welcome, it can only be a good thing."

Plans will be available to view in person at Fleetwood Market's outdoor area on Tuesday, May 25, or they can be viewed online here.Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here​.