Changes ahead for market town near Lancaster with so much to offer
Sitting on the edge of Morecambe Bay, Carnforth is known by most visitors for its local shops and links to the Lake District.
But the market town is preparing for change. It has become the focus of a proposed new agreement between its town council and Lancaster City Council, aiming for closer working.
Called a memorandum of understanding, it has been suggested by the city council as, separately, large councils potentially face big changes in 2028, with the government wanting fewer but bigger councils.
Parish and town councils could potentially see changes too, such as gaining new local responsibilities, services, land or buildings.
But what does it mean for those who live in and visit the town?
In Carnforth, Alexander and Caroline McIntyre from Wales were visiting while staying at a caravan park at Silverdale.
Caroline said: “We come here quite regularly. It’s a nice little town. It has a decent shops, some lovely cafes and the baskets of flowers are gorgeous. The people are really friendly. I don’t think Carnforth needs any changes.
“There are also bus routes to the Lake District and train links. It’s in a good position near the Lakes and coast. There are also lots of country shows too.
“Carnforth is not well known like Morecambe. When we mention Carnforth elsewhere, people often haven’t heard of it, although some people know about the Brief Encounter film. Whether Carnforth needs more promotion, I’m not sure?”
Alexander said: “We’ve read about the Eden Project coming to Morecambe, which will be good for the whole area. We travel quite a lot and have seen the impact of the Eden Project in Cornwall and Devon. Similarly in Wales with the National Botanic Garden.
“There’s talk of Lancaster [council] joining with Preston, but I feel Preston could dominate things if that happened.
“There’s always a risk in reorganisations that the biggest towns or cities can dominate. Local things matter and councils need to be locally connected.”
Alan Young and Ian Wilson were chatting in the town centre.
Alan said: “I moved to Carnforth last year from West Yorkshire. I’d come here for many years on holiday. It’s a nice town and area. We bought a bungalow that suits our needs, but I think the choice of homes for sale was a bit limited.”
Ian is from nearby Warton. His father, John Wilson, was the warden at the RSPB Leighton Moss nature site from 1964 to 2004.
Ian said: “Carnforth has a pretty good range of shops including four supermarkets. It’s pretty easy to get in and out of, with the M6 nearby. If I could change one thing, it’d probably be town centre traffic, but I’m not sure what the solution is.
“Train services from Carnforth are pretty good going south, but going north is harder.
“The West Coast Mainline goes through Carnforth station but the mainline platforms were closed in the early 1970s. That was a mistake. Carnforth was quite a big station up to the 1960s. It is still an impotant junction for various lines including to Barrow and Yorkshire and its strong railway history is quite an important part of tourism.”
Neil Woodcock has run Carnforth Bookshop for 12 years.
He said: “Car parking space in Carnforth is an issue for residents and businesses. There has been some improvement but people, especially older people, say the RingGo app system at the station car park is difficult and confusing, with phones and tickets. There is some parking space with supermarkets but not much else.
“But there many good things about Carnforth. There is a good range of shops, every shop along the main part of Market Street is occupied. There is also a range of supermarkets from Booths to Aldi.
"The town is not big but it serves quite a wide area. Tourism is an important element but Carnforth is still a working town. It’s not a tourist honeypot like Kirkby Lonsdale.
“People are very friendly here. Businesses co-operate well and older people come into shops for a chat. I like that. I like feeling part of a community, and I think people value locally-run shops.”
Andrea Wren runs the Brief Encounter Refreshment Room bistro and bar at Carnforth railway station, named after the classic 1940s film directed by David Lean.
She said: “I live in Bentham, which is smaller than Carnforth. Bentham shop fronts have been done up with a funding scheme by Bentham Town Council. That could be done in Carnforth.
"Bentham also has a charity shop where all the proceeds go back into the community for things like playgrounds. There are three playgrounds and a skatepark. That could be done in Carnforth.”
Tony Jenkinson from Morecambe and Frank Senior from Warton are volunteers at the station’s heritage centre.
Former South Lakeland Council employee Tony said: “I’ve seen a few changes with councils over the years. There’s talk of Lancaster merging with Preston. I imagine that’s a concern for Lancaster and Morecambe people, and some concerns probably go back to when Morecambe was made part of Lancaster City Council in 1974.
“In Carnforth, parts of the railway station are a bit dowdy and unwelcoming. It’s an important gateway and could look better.
"Carnforth has a massive railway history. If the Eden Project’s green transport aims are to be met, there will need to be more capacity to Morecambe.”
Frank added: “The heritage centre tends to get older visitors although we do get schools and youngsters with families. Once younger people get a feel for it, they might then enthuse, but perhaps we need to add something new or different?”
Suzanne Procter from Lancaster, watering flowers at the station, said: “I love volunteering here. It’s a really interesting place with a cinema and gallery spaces. In the summer, we get coach parties, which is good, but I think more could be done to raise public awareness of what’s here.”