Famous UK seaside town at point of 'no return' looks like 'deserted film set'
Angry visitors and locals have blasted a famous seaside town, with some declaring that it is “past the point of no return”.
Day trippers and holidaymakers once thronged to Britain's seaside resort towns but cheap flights and the rise of package holidays saw Brits abandon these traditional holiday destinations to soak up the sun abroad. As the crowds dwindled, so did the fortunes of many UK seaside communities, and many previously thriving seaside hotspots fell out of favour never to regain their former glory.
One unhappy visitor summed up the situation in Morecambe, in Lancashire, in a post on Tripadvisor, saying: “Victorians and Edwardians certainly appreciated this seaside jewel, arriving in their droves at the palatial railway station and, latterly, being accommodated at the ultra-chic Midland Hotel just across the road. Contemporary photographs all testify to the resort's former popularity and also remind us of its once grand and imposing Civic architecture, mostly now carelessly and thoughtlessly neglected or demolished.”
The sea front and beach at Morecambe in Lancashire is not as busy as it used to be (Getty Images/iStockphoto)They went on to add that they now wonder whether the town has “reached the point of 'no return', as it resembles “a deserted Hollywood film set,” the Express reports.
Dreadful, dreary, and the only redeeming feature is the view from the seafront,” was the verdict of another visitor. They continued: “Some of the people are the best you will ever meet anywhere, but the town, it's a hell hole. Avoid.”
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Many reviewers were scathing about the state of the town, but others said it was a lovely day out (Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)Some visitors to Morecambe were more positive - some things, like the area’s natural beauty, never go out of fashion. “Morecambe Bay is stunning,” they said. Although they did then continue: “Don't turn around as the town is utterly disgraceful. Our experience of a Saturday night out was the worst I have had.”
Another reviewer had only good things to say about the town, however, saying: “Lovely family day out and plenty to see and do.”
The area comes under the control of Lancaster City Council and the councillor responsible for the area's tourism efforts defended Morecambe, saying thousands of people give the resort a big thumbs up. Councillor Catherine Potter, council cabinet member at Lancaster City Council with responsibility for leisure and tourism, said: "Anyone who lives in Morecambe knows how special the resort is, as do the tens of thousands of visitors that we welcome every single year, many of whom speak positively about their visit.
“Among our many attributes, we enjoy one of the finest views of any seaside town in England, miles of sandy beaches, a wonderful promenade, restored hotels and quality independent shops." She added: “The council and its partners are now working very hard on the next chapter of the town’s history and securing its legacy for generations to come with the opening of Eden Project Morecambe.”
The town is hoping that the injection of investment that the new Eden Project brings will breathe new life into the area. The town will receive a £50 million cash injection from the Government to help see another project in the ethos of Cornwall's famous giant greenhouse conservation programme, the Eden Project. The plan - which is supposed to cost £100 million in total - is expected to create a swathe of new jobs and bring a boost to the economy of the area.
The project says "For many years Morecambe has been one of Britain’s most popular tourist destinations with visitors attracted to its stunning natural landscape. Eden Project Morecambe, a major new attraction, re-imagines Morecambe as a seaside resort for the 21st Century, inspiring wonder and a connection with the natural world drawing on the Eden Project’s focus on education, ecology and community,” according to the project’s website.
Barrie Stimpson, 60, is a retired professional footballer who played for Morecambe and lived there for 20 years before moving to nearby Heysham. He and his wife Beverly have lived in the area for 38 years. “When I first moved here in 1986, on a bank holiday weekend there were 20,000 mods here and every hotel was packed, it had its own illuminations, it was a really thriving seaside town,” Barrie recalled. “But now it’s just about as cheap to go abroad and it has been neglected and is rough around the edges.”
However he said there is still hope for the town, due to its location and the grandfather-of-two says the prospect of the Eden Project arriving can “transform the place". He said: "On the prom looking across, it’s the most stunning view you will ever see in the world and you can look across to the Lake District.”
But there is still much to be done, Morecambe was named the 5th worst coastal town in the UK, with a Telegraph report saying it could be "so much more than it is".
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