£30,000 tramway panel replacement planned in Cleveleys

9:58pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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A £30,000 replacement of tramway panels in the Rossall Road area of Cleveleys is set to begin this summer with more than 300 metres of panelling.

Blackpool Council, which maintains the entire length of the famous tramway, has already installed 30 panels along the stretch of track between Cleveleys and Fleetwood after they had been damaged.

About 150 more panels will be replaced during the improvement scheme over the summer.

The replacement is one of the biggest operations of its kind in recent years.

Last year saw £7,000 spent on replacements but this scheme is set to be over four times that amount.

Included in the scheme will be the replacement of the 150 panels along Rossall Road and the installation of a timber post and rail system along the length of Copse Road.

The timber post system is designed to be more pleasing on the eye as well as being easier and safer to repair should any damage be caused to it in the future.

Councillor Maxine Callow, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Tourism, said: "Both the panels we use and the new timber and rail system act as a demarcation to prevent pedestrians straying onto the tramway.

"Under this scheme of works, currently damaged areas of fencing will be replaced along with other areas, which will be brought up to date and in keeping with the full stretch of the tramway. In the long run this will save the council money as the new systems are low maintenance and easier to repair."

At the same time, the area around Thornton Gate will also be fenced and tidied following requests from local businesses and police who were concerned the area could be prone to vandalism.

The work will not interfere with the running of the trams and will be carried out throughout the summer.