Plug Pulled On Yarmouth Casino Plan

Hotel bosses yesterday dealt a major blow to Yarmouth's regeneration plans by pulling the plug on an ambitious new UK casino complex.

In March managers at the Hilton Group announced plans to build a 4* hotel and casino on the Pleasure Beach. It was branded a Las Vegas-style super-casino that would re-establish Yarmouth as one of the country's key tourist destinations, bringing millions a year to the resort.

But last night hotel managers said they no longer had any plans to come to the town.

There have been strong hints that the one regional casino to be built in Britain - eight had been planned until an eve-of-the-election compromise - will go to Blackpool.

Hilton Group corporate development director Roger Devlin told the EDP that with no regional casino Yarmouth's economy was not strong enough to sustain a luxury hotel.

He said: "We would be interested in doing something in Yarmouth but that can only be justified by having a regional casino. Hilton only does hotels with a minimum of 150 rooms and we don't believe the market demand exists in the absence of a regional casino. If the first test casino goes to Blackpool, as we project, we expect the next wave will balance that out with one on the East Coast - but Yarmouth will have to lobby hard. We are willing to support Yarmouth with a hotel and casino if the rules change, but at present we have no plans to develop in the town."

The development was to be the most prestigious part of a complex for the Pleasure Beach including a multiplex cinema and bowling alley.

Officials behind the development were last night keen to point out that the scheme will still go ahead - but without the casino and hotel.

Albert Jones, director of the Pleasure Beach, said: "For five years we've been working on the assumption of just a cinema and bowling alley. The Hilton Group came along six months ago and showed interest but their not coming won't have much impact on our plans.

"A casino and 4* hotel would have been a tremendous boost for the whole of East Anglia but the Government's decision was out of our hands."

Karen Howes, regional director of developers Henry Boot, said: "We're still proceeding with the cinema and bowling alley and have outline planning permission for a 100,000 sq ft site.

"Everybody got slightly thrown by the Hilton Group coming in and understandably got very excited - but we've now all returned to earth."

And Barry Stone, portfolio holder for economic development at Yarmouth Borough Council, said: "It is a disappointment not to be getting a casino.

"But, when things settle down, I hope the Government will introduce more regional casinos, and we would welcome further discussion with the Hilton Group then.

"In the long term, we hope to be able to attract at least one 4 star hotel to Yarmouth."

Last night a Government spokesman told the EDP: "It's still a possibility for Yarmouth to get the one regional casino, the decision will not be taken until the beginning of 2007.

"It is also a possibility that the Government will raise the number of regional casinos over the course of this parliament - we retain an open mind."