Views on whether housing or hotels should be built on the Frontierland site were "on a 50-50 split" during a public survey into the future of the land, said a council leader.
Councillor Phillip Black said residents' comments on how the former fairground in Morecambe should be developed were "useful and productive" and will now "form the bedrock" of the council's future plans for the derelict site.
The boarded-up theme park land on the Promenade has been left disused for almost 25 years and its owners Lancaster City Council want to regenerate it, so asked for the public's views on a set of 10 objectives.
The number one objective is a leisure-led redevelopment, which may also include hotels and/or apartments, public spaces for events and festivals, and only a "modest amount" of shops.
The idea of building housing on the eysesore site, which has proven controversial with some residents, is not being ruled out altogether - but the council said it would be "minimal" and only built "if it is necessary to financially support achieving other objectives".
"We've heard and considered the feedback on the public consultation," said Councillor Black (pictured below), leader of the city council, speaking at a meeting at Morecambe Town Hall on Wednesday.
"There was largely a very positive response to the objectives and quite a lot of support for the vast majority of them.
"The objectives where the community was pretty much on a 50-50 split were unsurprisingly on questions around whether or not there should be any element of housing on the site and exactly what a leisure-led development should look like, for example whether that should include hotel spaces.
"It's going to form the bedrock of the route that we take forward in the procurement process. It's moving along in a really positive and exciting way."
A Frontierland Project Advisory Board, set up to oversee the overall vision for the site’s future, will have another meeting in due course, said Councillor Black.
Of the 455 people who responded to the consultation, the majority supported all of the draft principles, with eight of the 10 receiving more than 80% support. This included 93% agreement that the site needs to deliver a leisure-led redevelopment that provides significant and wide-ranging economic benefits for Morecambe and the wider district. There was also agreement by 83% of respondents that the council needs to secure a return on its £3million investment to acquire the site, while 90% thought that any development needs to meet or exceed environmental performance standards.
Receiving less support, at 51%, were suggested objectives for a minimal residential component to the overall development and provision of a hotel or similar visitor accommodation.
Lancaster City Council published its set of 'draft objectives' for the land on Marine Road West, late last year.
Read more: Blueprint for future of Frontierland revealed as public consultation gets under way - Beyond Radio
The full list of objectives and consultation results are:
1) Deliver a leisure-led redevelopment that matches the architectural quality and aspirations of the best developments along Morecambe’s seafront. 93% agree, 7% disagree. 2) Provide significant and wide-ranging economic benefits to Morecambe and the wider district. 93% agree, 7% disagree. 3) Secure a return on the council’s investment in acquiring the site to help ensure that wider service provision can be maintained. 83% agree, 17% disagree. 4) Provide new purpose-built visitor accommodation for a range of needs and types – e.g. family, luxury budget hotels and serviced- apartments etc. 51% agree, 49% disagree. 5) Provide quality leisure uses that will enhance Morecambe’s appeal. 88% agree, 12% disagree. 6) Create high-quality flexible public spaces that can host events and festivals. 81% agree, 19% disagree. 7) Breathe new life into the frontage on Marine Road West to improve footfall and improve connections through the site to the West End, the town centre, Morrisons, and the railway station. 90% agree, 10% disagree. 8) Any development should meet or exceed the environmental performance standards in the council’s emerging Climate Emergency Local Plan. 90% agree, 10% disagree. 9) Ensure any effects to town centre businesses are kept to a minimum by only including a modest amount of retail space. 82% agree, 18% disagree. 10) To include a minimal residential component to the overall development only if it is necessary to financially support achieving our other objectives. 51% agree, 49% disagree.
The public consultation period on these objectives closed in early January.
Lancaster City Council bought the 7.5 acre site in 2021. In 2023, the council asked for expressions of interest from would-be developers of the land, asking for leisure-led ideas.
Eight proposals were used as a starting point to help draft the objectives.
The council is expected to make a decision on how best to develop the land soon.
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