Councils set to work together on Eden Project Morecambe

New arrangements with Morecambe and Carnforth town councils are to be considered at Lancaster City Council’s next cabinet meeting.

Cabinet members are being recommended to agree new principles and aims for two proposed agreements, called memorandums of understanding, with Morecambe and Carnforth.

In Morecambe, tourism, arts and culture, potential local government reorganisation and bids for funding have been identified as priorities for future closer work, according to a new Lancaster cabinet report.

In Carnforth, priorities include maximising opportunities from the Eden Project, sharing residents’ views to influence public services , supporting small businesses, developing a transport and parking strategy, and dealing with the proposed reorganisation of local councils wanted by the Westminster government.

Regarding Eden, Carnforth has been mentioned at various public discussions as a future ‘gateway’ for visitors from the north. Its railway station, used the classic film Brief Encounter, has links to the Lake District and Yorkshire, along with Morecambe and Lancaster.

The Lancaster cabinet report says talks have been held with officers and some cabinet members from the different councils to established the aims of closer working. The new agreements would be voluntary and not legally binding.

The report adds: “The primary purpose is to establish agreed principles of collaborative working with a focus on upcoming challenges and opportunities. Regular communication will explore and implement outcomes to benefit the Morecambe and Carnforth communities.”

A steering group for each town will be the vehicle for regular communication.

Lancaster’s cabinet is also being asked to allow the city council’s chief executive to sign the agreements on the council’s behalf.

The future of the main Lancashire councils is a topic of political debate across the county.

Under the current government’s English Devolution White Paper and the previous Conservative government’s push for Lancashire devolution, there is a common theme of creating new, bigger unitary councils serving 500,000 people and ending the two-tier county and district structure from 1974.

That could mean merging or abolishing councils. One idea is joining Lancaster City Council with Preston and the Ribble Valley. All major Lancashire councils have been asked to send preferences to the government this November.

Although the debate has mainly focused on major councils, new parish and town councils could potentially be formed too. The government has said public engagement with politics needs consideration. And some Lancaster city councillors have spoken about the potential creation of new parish or town councils to fill gaps in the district.

In future, some council services or assets, such as buildings, land or parks, could potentially be transferred to smaller town or parish councils, or not-for-profit community groups.

Currently, the Lancaster district already has a number of parish councils including the new Yealands Parish Council, formed in 2024 from a merger of Yealand Conyers and Yealand Redmayne parishes.

But some areas, including in Lancaster itself, are non-parished with no town or parish council equivalent to Morecambe, Carnforth or Yealands.