Newsletter 338 - September 2005

Lytham Quays - Marion Coupe

We are supporting the newly formed group Defend Lytham, chaired by Alison Jack. Donations are needed as the group is retaining a planning consultant to fight the case against the huge proposed Lytham Quays development of 3000 flats.

There will be development at Dock Road and we would like to see continued mixed use of the site, providing employment. Any residential development should be sympathetic, and compatible with the size of the existing town, ie. Not swamping it.
The issues centre on:

* The effect on Lytham town centre as the focus of the community for retail and other facilities.
* Transportation, road and rail.
* The effect of such a huge development on the wildlife of the estuary and the historic seascape.
* Implications of the inclusion of affordable housing - there is a lack of information about tenure.
* The lack of play space.
* The city scale of the townscape (5-6 storeys is too high), and the "underground" parking is likely to be actually at ground floor level.
* There is a lack of information on the purpose and functioning of the waterways.
* Flood risk.

Pretty pictures of sunny piazzas in the brochure do not impress us. Venice, Amsterdam and The Mary Rose have no connection with Lytham. The brochure has little connection with the planning application and is merely an attempt to sway public opinion.

Sand, sand, sand

We regret that work has started on the former Blackburn Home, to convert it into flats. It is very odd indeed that this derelict wreck has been deemed to be structurally sound whereas the Town Hall is not.

We have written to object to the continued sale of sand because of the damage it does to the dunes, increasing flood risk and ruining the ecology of the area and the quiet enjoyment of the beach.

Other planning snippets:

* Edenfield has been sold once again. Fresh plans for 14 flats have been submitted.
* There are plans afoot to try and build on the meadow near the Hole in One, which is part of the traditional open corridor from Lytham Hall to the sea.
* The council may be meeting at Lytham Hall.

* Lytham Police station: The police are about to take up their new "shop" in Clifton St and leave their present site where they have been for over 100 years, which has the advantage of parking. They will put the old property up for sale on the open market. They say that they want to sell on a "sympathetic basis" and not to someone whereby it causes problems for the police and local community. Does this mean a pub is not a possibility we wonder? Our views on the re-use of this fine listed building have always been clear. There could be a conversion to office or residential use of the original building, with some demolition of the newer parts. But the listed and unique courtroom should be retained - cocooned perhaps for heritage and educational use.
* Queen Mary School - We have objected to the ugly box like structure placed at the main entrance of the listed building as a sales office by Barratt Homes.
* Ashton Gardens - The Ashton Institute has been demolished and stored. We think that its re-location should have been part of the deal with the developer; its fate now rests with a lottery application. Work will start on the demolition of the cinema and Aked's Garage soon, although there is still dispute over the closing of the footpath at the edge of the gardens from St George's Road. This is a petty dispute - the path should be retained.
* The council's proposal to build affordable housing on the North Beach Car Park has been withdrawn after a storm of protests.

Exhibition - The Architecture and Heritage of Lytham St.Annes

We are delighted to announce this exhibition, which will take place at Lytham Heritage Centre from 4th October to 6th November 2005. We have a huge and fascinating archive of photographs, including hundreds of 19th and 20th century post cards. There is also an excellent series of black and white photos taken by the local photographic society in the 1970's, and the more up to date ones, which form the basis of our book, The Listed Buildings of Lytham St.Annes. If you can help in any way we would be very grateful - such as helping to set up and dismantle, and some stewarding in half day sessions 10am to 1pm and 1pm to 4pm. Please phone Rob Wilkinson if you can on 727611, or write to 29 Grange Road St.Annes, or email rob@robwilkinson.f2s.com .

Lowther Gardens and the Green

Ours thanks are due to the generous residents of Lytham who contributed to our costs in employing a top charity barrister to investigate the status of Lowther Gardens. The Thomas Blasson Charitable Foundation contributed £1,500 and many others gave smaller sums, both at the public meeting we held and afterwards. There was much local concern that the "Civic Suite" function, which the council were proposing for the Pavilion, would lead to the loss of the thriving community theatre amenity we have now. Many residents were interested to see whether their covenants restricting the uses of the pavilion were enforceable. Counsel's opinion stated that both Lowther and the Green were the subjects of a charitable gift from the Cliftons to the people of Lytham, and that they should be registered as charities with the charity commission, (as should Ashton Gardens). The council received similar advice from its own barrister relating just to Lowther Gardens. The terms of the lease indicate that political meetings should not be held at Lowther, and so the council has abandoned its plans.

Fylde BC's decision to take the advice of its own barrister has not been taken with a great deal of grace. Some councillors have deemed it necessary to attack the Civic Society in a council meeting, and in a fit of what can only be seen as petulance have stated that they will not now spend money on Lowther. We hope that common sense will prevail.

As to Lytham Green, proposals for increasing car parking on the Green have been withdrawn - we hope for good.

Billiard Table

A piece of good news is that the Lytham Hall Billiard Table has returned to its purpose built room at the Hall . John Talbot Clifton, a keen billiards player, died in 1928. By 1933 Harry had got control of his inheritance and began to dissipate it. One of the first things to go was the billiard table from the Hall. He offered it to the Lytham Conservative Club if they would remove it immediately and they apparently arranged to move it quickly. There it has stayed, with a plaque saying: "Presented to the Lytham Conservative Club by the President, Henry T. de Vere Clifton; Esq., December 1933"

The club is now known as the Hastings Club, and has been re-modelled. The club has donated the table back to the Hall, the removal costs of over £400 being paid by the Friends of Lytham Hall. The Friends are also helping to fund the restoration of the old kitchen fireplace at the Hall.

Transport in wartime

We have a request for information from Paul Turner of the above Lancastrian Transport Trust. He has been researching the transport of Lytham St.Annes. He says: "The commemoration of WW2 this year brought home to me that my knowledge of the wartime era is sadly lacking. This is caused mainly by the lack of official documents and the much-reduced newspapers. What I need is some human interest. Could you possibly put a request on your website or in your newsletter for anyone who spent the war years in Lytham St.Annes - either resident, evacuee or member of the forces - with memories of travel and transport around the town to contact me to discuss their experiences. Particularly interested in how the armed forces members travelled to the training camps along the Fylde. Please offer my email address <paul@ltt.org.uk> or my mobile phone 07815 983885".

We have also received a request for pictures and information relating to the history of Lytham St.Annes Fire Stations. Contact Frank Murphy <FrankMurphy@lancsfirerescue.org.uk> on 01253 722286

Please help if you can.

Membership

Membership subscriptions are due on 1st May each year. If you do not pay by banker's order and have omitted to pay by now, you will not receive a programme card with this newsletter. So if there is not a card enclosed please take action using the enclosed form! Subs are kept low at £6 for members and £10 for a household, receiving one newsletter. Patrons pay £12 at present.

We propose to increase the patrons' subscription at the AGM, to take effect from May 2006. In reality you can send as much as you like - the figures are a minimum, and many members add on a small donation each year.

WITCH WOOD - Rob Wilkinson

The proposed third phase of enhancements to the wood has been approved by Lancashire Environmental Fund (Community Chest Fund) and the amount we have been awarded will cover the cost of the work. This will comprise the laying of a hard path with a Top Trec surface by the school fence opposite the cricket field. This section of path often gets very muddy in wet weather and the new path should be a considerable improvement. The end result will provide a continuous hard path throughout the length of the wood. The Task Force of Lancashire Wildlife Trust is to carry out the work, hopefully in the next month or so.

Fylde Borough Council recently teamed up with the Society to encourage dog owners to "Grab it, Bag it and Bin it". This was part of a National Poop Scoop week highlighting that not clearing up after your dog is anti-social behaviour. Members of the Society, a council dog warden and two members from Fylde Community Safety Partnership held an event in the wood. This was deemed a success and we intend to repeat the exercise on Saturday 17th September between 11am and 3pm. It will be held near Middle Bridge / Ringwood Close entrance All are welcome to attend particularly dog walkers.

The working parties of volunteers will commence again on Friday 2nd September 2005. These will be held in the wood each Friday morning, except when meeting on the following Saturdays: September 10th, October 15th, November 12th and December 10th. We meet at 9.30 am at the tree nursery (near Skew Bridge entrance). If you wish to join our volunteers, and new members are always welcome, just turn up or contact either Bill Thompson on 737795 or Rob Wilkinson on 727611.

If you would like to comment on a planning application write to:

The Manager for the Built Environment
Fylde Borough Council
Town Hall
St Annes
FY8 1LW