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UK theme park dwelling to Cyclone rollercoaster left to rot as locals beg for revamp

A theme park site that has been untouched since it closed its gates in 1999 could about to finally be brought back to life – if locals get their way.

Frontierland’s theme park site in Morecambe, in the Lancaster district in Lancashire, has played host to many different theme park attractions over the years – with good times and bad. But now, Morecambe itself is changing, as per reports from LancsLive.

With its planned Eden Project and the Winter Gardens restoration, Lancaster City Council is reportedly eager to inject new life into more parts of the area – and this includes the old Frontierland site.

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Joanne Ainscough, Cllr, told the BBC in February: “We have done an expression of interest and the majority of developers came forward with hotels and housing, and that’s not really the inspiration we want.



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El Paso Railroad miniture railway, Frontierland Western Theme Park in the 1980s

“We want something that’s more exciting.

“If somebody came along with a really brilliant idea for a fairground, why not?

“But it has to be something that gives the council some money back on its investment but also gives something for both visitors and locals.”



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Lancaster City Council is reportedly eager to inject new life into the area

She said, in February, that residents hoped building on the site would begin in the next 12 to 18 months – but that hasn’t materialised yet.

“The council does not want this to be sat around for another five, or 10 years.

“The people of Morecambe have had to put up with this white elephant for a very long time.

“We want it to be done as quickly as possible, ” Ainscough said.



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It is understood the council hopes to have appointed a development partner in the coming months

The 7.5-acre site’s old land was bought in 2021 by the city, which is understood to be keen to construct something new and fit for the area’s leisure tastes today. Both private developers and the general public have been consulted for ideas, while proposals have been received from the former.

It is understood the council hopes to have appointed a development partner in the coming months. Leisure activities are understood to still be seen as a key element for the site’s redevelopment – although the exact nature of this is understood to still be up in the air.

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