£1 million boost for lights HAPPY Mount Park's illuminations could be set for a £1 million face-lift designed to take the Morecambe tourist trap into the 21st century. And those 12-year plans unveiled this week include new Christmas illuminations complete with an enormous Santa's Grotto and the introduction of man-made snow ensuring a white Christmas for the resort every year. The scheme was unveiled by Illuminations company chief Nick Westwell at a meeting of the city council's Morecambe Tourism Group this week. Mr Westwell's contract to run the park's illuminations ends after next year's summer season but the Lancaster businessman is looking way past that. He was at the tourism group meeting to ask for a further 12 years to be added to that lease with the promise of a £1 million investment in state-of-the-art technology, such as fibre optics, to bring top quality attractions.

The huge tent, a legacy left by Mr Blobby, which currently houses the Emerald Adventure (Never Never Land) could also become a thing of the past.

And the park's entrepreneur is on his way. The council's committee agreed to consider his ideas in principal. It could all depend on the full business plan he now has to discuss with the city treasurer. Mr Westwell said: "People have always promised to do things in Morecambe but have never come up with the goods.

"If we are granted this extension, Happy Mount Park will look like never before. We are more than happy with the way things have gone so far and we feel there is a very bright future indeed for this project."

Mr Westwell is expected to meet with the city treasurer in the next few weeks.

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