ST ANNES residents should urge their councillors to support the Community Arts Centre Trust in their fight to save St Annes College being turned into flats.

Developers Newfield Jones plan to build 68 flats.

Fylde Borough Council is allowing a beautiful old building that has served the community well for decades to be smashed to the ground.

After all, it is the same council that has allowed the destruction of many of our other fine buildings. Remember the Majestic Hotel, Dunes House, St Thomas Vicarage School of Performance, Princes Hotel, the Football League, the Fairhaven Hotel, Lawrence House School, St Annes Hospital and all the other fine historic buildings that they have allowed to be destroyed?

So no problem with demolition then. What now follows is my guess and I would be grateful if any readers could help me achieve more accuracy. Newfield Jones have permission to build 68 flats, let's say at a price of £80,000 each. This gives an income of £5.44 million. If they don't get a return of 10 per cent on the project, they should be putting their money in a building society. So my estimate is £544,000 profit.

So, on one side Newfield Jones make over £500,000 (my guess) and on the other side, what about the people of St Annes? They had a college. They could have had a community centre or at the very least the building could be kept for business use to create much-needed jobs. But no. Thanks to the council they will end up another block of flats.

This is yet another bad deal for the area, another bad example of the people of St Annes being made poorer by greedy developers and an uncaring council. What about the jobs the college created? What about the children now travelling to Blackpool or Preston colleges? How will this attract families to the area?

The reality is that, in a few years time, those 68 flats will be unnecessary -- people will not want to move to St Annes as it is becoming empty of employment, education and greenery. My prediction is that most of those flats, along with many others, will be standing empty in years to come. The blame can rest squarely with the council and the developers.

Alan Turner,

Holmefield Road, St Annes.