A NEW report slamming Morecambe as on its last legs' has won the backing of the resort's MP.

Geraldine Smith says the long-term vision published by the Northwest Development Agency is realistic'.

She agrees that the resort is unlikely to get back to the position it boasted in its heyday.

But she stresses that Morecambe can have a bright future if local people, firms and the city council all pull together.

"The authorities need to pull their socks up and I am hoping that after the election fever which is gripping the Town Hall is over, we can start the ball rolling," she says.

"First we need to make Morecambe a nice place to live before we think about trying to attract tourists. The West End and Euston Road areas look an absolute mess and we can't encourage tourists there. We need to deal with deprivation first."

The report singles out the Festival Market, Apollo Cinema and new railway station buildings as poor quality modern development' which will rapidly look dated and start to contribute to decline.

It hails the investment by Morrison's in a designer outlet village as a good start. And it says that in conjunction with the restoration of the Midland Hotel, it could create quality at the heart of the town.

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP Ms Smith says: "I despaired when I found out the council had given permission for an Aldi supermarket on the promenade. It was incredible that planning consent was granted for a cheap and tacky building instead of a family attraction."

"We have seen the last surviving attractions bulldozed so I think if we replace them people will start to come to the area, but we also need diversity of industry, like making it feasible for start-up businesses, using communal buildings in the West End as offices."

As chair of the Morecambe Action Group, she says dev-elopers must be encou-raged to the central area around the Midland Hotel and retailers to the town centre.

And Jim Catterall, chairman of Morecambe Hoteliers, says the resort is far from on its last legs.

It can yet regain its position as a holiday destination for people taking short breaks instead of week-long holidays, he says.

"It is up to private firms to work with council members and officers to make Morecambe a pleasant place to live, visit and stay, but it is developing and it will continue to do so.

"The opportunities for Morecambe outweigh the weaknesses and I disagree that it will only be a day visit destination. As a hotel business we are looking forward to another busy year. It annoys me that the attitude of local people can be so negative."

Ian Wray, chief planner for the North West Development Agency, says the starting point for a better future must be to concentrate on making Morecambe a place where people like to live.

He adds: "The report provides a framework for us to make funding decisions and we will work with the local authority to see how we can forward the recommendations."

April 16, 2003 16:30