Concerns raised as Tramtown attraction closes for good over unsafe building

Blackpool’s Tramtown museum has been forced to close permanently after the main building used by the public was found to be unsafe.

It means that not only is the building now shut but it is facing demolition, effectively bringing down the curtain on the visitor attraction at Rigby Road, where Blackpool’s famous heritage trams are stored in another building.

The latest twist in the chequered history of Tramtown saw Cllr Paul Galley, head of volunteers at the visitor attraction, posting a video on Youtube, demanding answers.

He said it was a sad day for one of Blackpool’s most valuable public attractions.

But Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, insisted that this was not the end of the much-loved heritage trams in Blackpool, which have not only national but international significance.

Cllr Williams said a number of solutions were being looked at which would ensure the future of the vehicles in Blackpool.

Cllr Galley, who is also leader of Blackpool’s Council’s Conservative opposition group, said he had been told by Blackpool Transport that the fitting shop, where vital repairs and other crucial activities take place, was “uninhabitable”.

He said: “That raises a lot of questions around why the volunteers of Tramtown, the public, the MP, the Council Leader were allowed in, when it was uninhabitable.

”Why was Chris Webb’s Pride of Place funding spent on that building? Fixing the electrical issues we were told was the problem, only for us find it was not the problem, the real problem was it was uninhabitable. This is public money that was spent.

“So without the fitting shop, Tramtown has reached the end of the road here at Rigby Road.”

Cllr Galley says his suggestion that Tramtown could become part of the Blackpool Heritage and Museum Trust, which he said could safeguard the amenity, has not been taken up.

He says he is also asking the new heritage manager at Blackpool Transport what has happened to money that was donated to the fitting shop and the tram shed, adding: “The volunteers only found out about the closure on Google, which is very poor.”

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “While the work was ongoing fixing the electrics at Tramtown, an independent structural engineer carried out a survey of the building. That independent report has come back saying that the building is unsafe. The only public entrance is unsafe and we can’t gamble with the safety of volunteers and visitors by opening an unsafe building. Equally, bad weather last month ripped even more panels off the roof which has led to it leaking again.

“We have looked to quickly and safely remove everything out of the building and find a place to store and preserve it. Unfortunately for the building itself there is no safe or affordable alternative but demolition.

“Blackpool Transport’s team met with Tramtown’s volunteers over the weekend to update them and discussed the shared vision for the future of Tramtown. We appreciate this closure will be difficult for the Tramtown volunteers , and for people who care about our heritage and our trams just as I do. Myself and the new managing director of Blackpool Transport are on the same page that we want Tramtown to open for the summer and are looking at every possible solution to find a pop-up site for it to reopen as soon as possible.

“I want to make very clear that this is not the end of heritage trams in Blackpool. The news will double our resolve to set up a joint steering group to create a better future for Tramtown and our historic trams. Like we always do in Blackpool, when we encounter a hurdle we will come together and build something better.

“Our new MD of Blackpool Transport is already working on getting our heritage trams back out for people to enjoy this summer, while I am determined that we work together as a town now to submit a joint funding bid to build back a better Tramtown visitor attraction that celebrates our wonderful, historic trams.”

All funds raised by Tramtown, or donations made towards its running, are held in a separate bank account.