Blackpool Supporters Dismiss Report

Supporters of Blackpool's bid to host the UK's only permitted regional super casino have rubbished comments in a government-commissioned report that stated that the town had "no space" for a site on such a scale, insisting its chances have not been affected.

Together with Manchester, Glasgow and Coventry, the town is among the front-running locations battling to win the bid, which it is claimed could bring in as much as £500 million and thousands of jobs to the local economy and boost the area's entertainment industry.

A string of reports have been commissioned ahead of The Casino Advisory Panel's impending decision into the most suitable location for the super casino and 16 other smaller ones. However the most recent report, compiled by planning and development economist Roger Tym and Partners for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, has provoked anger in the country's light entertainment capital.

Former managing director of Leisure Parcs and gaming consultant Mark Etches branded the report a 'load of rubbish', and said its conclusion about the resort was contradicted by the evidence.

A spokesperson for Blackpool Council said the authority was not taking seriously the conclusions from the latest report. Its authors Roger Tym and Partners declined to comment on how those conclusions were reached.