Trams museum shuts as building deemed unsafe

A museum which houses heritage trams is being forced to close after the building was found to be unsafe.

The public entrance to Blackpool's Tramtown museum on Rigby Road was deemed unsafe after a structural engineer's survey, Blackpool Council leader Lynn Williams said.

"We can't gamble with the safety of volunteers and visitors by opening an unsafe building," she said.

Williams insisted it was "not the end for heritage trams" but said there was no safe or affordable alternative other than demolition of the site.

She said her and Blackpool Transport's new managing director Lea Harrison were looking at "every possible solution to find a pop-up site for it to reopen as soon as possible".

It comes after the attraction had been forced to shut due to an issue with an electric cable.

Councillor Paul Galley, who is also leader of Blackpool's Conservative opposition group and a Tramtown volunteer, said he was "gutted it was the end of the line".

He added his fellow volunteers at the museum had been "amazing".

Galley has previously said the resort's fleet of heritage trams were "fundamental to the DNA of Blackpool".

Williams said: "While the work was ongoing fixing the electrics at Tramtown, an independent structural engineer carried out a survey of the building.

"That independent report has come back saying the building is unsafe.

"The only public entrance is unsafe and we can't gamble with the safety of volunteers and visitors by opening an unsafe building."

She said strong winds last month had also ripped "even more panels off the roof which has led to it leaking again".

Williams said everything had been removed from the building and was being stored elsewhere.

She said Blackpool Transport's team updated Tramtown's volunteers at the weekend and "discussed the shared vision for the future of Tramtown".

"I want to make very clear that this is not the end of heritage trams in Blackpool. The news will double our resolve to set up a joint steering group to create a better future for Tramtown and our historic trams," she said.

She said Harrison was working on getting our heritage trams back out for people to enjoy "this summer", and she was "determined" to "build back a better Tramtown visitor attraction".

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