Starr Gate depot damaged by wind

The damaged roof cladding on Starr Gate tram depot being secured with safety netting on Sunday 11th January

A gust off wind lifted the roof cladding off part of the new tram depot at Starr Gate on the morning of 10th January. Although the weather on Saturday morning was nothing exceptional, just a reasonably strong wind, a sudden gust lifted several roof sheets from over the engineering bay and office side of the depot. With the roof panels missing, vast volumes of fibreglass insulation were ripped out and blown all over the garden area and crazy golf course adjacent to the depot precincts. In view of the precarious state of the roof, the adjacent promenade roadway was closed for safety reasons, and the southern tram terminus moved north to the Pleasure Beach. On Sunday 11th January the tram service was still only operating between the Pleasure Beach and Fleetwood Ferry, although all the Flexities were based at and operating from the depot at Starr Gate as normal.

Flexity 014 leaving the confines of  Starr Gate depot to enter passenger service early on the Sunday morning

Starr Gate terminus remained unused for most of the weekend while the panels on the depot roof were secured

Flexity 015 leaving the depot to enter passenger service, surrounded by blowing insulation from out of the depot roof

Vast amounts of roof insulation were blown all over the area immediately surrounding the depot

Due to the roadway adjacent to the depot being closed, the number 1 bus service had to begin from Abercorn Place

The garden area around Starr Gate depot took on a strange appearance as it was 'decorated' with roof insulation