Let's hear it for Morecambe

Support is mounting for Morecambe to have it's own town council so the people of the resort can have more of a say in what happens in the area.

And Cllr Evelyn Archer, who is putting her weight behind the campaign, says not only will it be good to help the regeneration of Morecambe, but it should not cost residents any more in council tax.

A meeting was held on Monday to see if the idea would be a hit or not and Mrs Archer says: "The feeling was that people want a town council for Morecambe. A vote was taken and was almost unanimous for a council."

She says it would cover the whole of the resort, including Harbour, Westgate, Torrisholme, Poulton and Bare wards.

"But we have to look at the boundaries carefully to make sure we do not encroach into any parish council."

Once the boundaries are set, just 2,400 signatures from the electoral register have to be collected before a council can be formed.

Then the signatures and petitions will be sent to Lancaster City Council, which cannot block the proposal. It must send it to the Secretary of State for a decision.

Cllr Archer says: "Morecambe needs a voice because the the resort has declined and we feel perhaps that if we had a council of our own we would have been able to tell the city what residents' priorities are.

"It will enable residents to have more of a say in the way money is spent in the area."

And she adds: "It will not cost the residents in Morecambe any extra because they already pay an extra £15 annually on the rates for each household because they have to be in line with the parishes which set rates higher."

Councillor Ian Barker, the leader of Lancaster city council, says he want to see the people of Lancaster, Skerton and Heysham get their own area councils as well Morecambe.

"We think it is important that the different urban areas that make up the core of the city council area should have their own distinctive voice, just as the town and parish councils do," he says.