A TOP Fylde politician claimed this week he was banned from speaking at a crowded meeting on plans to demolish Blackpool's Golden Mile and build massive Las Vegas-style casinos.

Steven Bate, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, told The Citizen that council chief executive Mr Graham Essex-Crosby had insisted that he should not be allowed to speak at the meeting, organised by the Rev Michael Fielding of North Shore Methodist Church.

"It was a rigged meeting," he claimed.

But Mr Essex-Crosby said: "My understanding was that it was not a public meeting but rather a meeting for interested parties." He admitted though: "There was some confusion about whether it was a public meeting or not."

Mr Bate said the assembly had been billed as a public meeting -- the first at which anyone would be allowed to make their comments on the casino plans.

A show of hands had indicated the majority was against the Las Vegas project. "I think they would have found the statistics I had informative, but I was not allowed to offer them."

Mr Essex-Crosby explained that the meeting was organised for representatives of 10 churches in Blackpool's inner wards. He understood it was not an open meeting in the strictest sense of the word, but for church members. "Our intention is simply to make people aware of the project and capture views," he said.

Mr Bate and Mr Essex-Crosby did not speak to each other at the meeting. Mr Bate said he asked Mr Fielding if he could speak and he consulted the top table.

"I said I didn't think it was appropriate for a prospective parliamentary candidate to speak at that time," Mr Essex-Crosby said. "It was not the right setting for political speeches.

"I would be more than happy to look at any material he has," he added.

He said it was clear from the meeting that the churches were more concerned about the casino plans than hoteliers. "But their views are just as valid as the hoteliers."

Mr Fielding told The Citizen that he agreed it would have been inappropriate for Mr Bate to speak. But he agreed that pre-publicity in a local newspaper had said it would be an open meeting. "It was aimed at gathering information for church members, " he said.

There will be a public meeting next Thursday, April 19, at 7.30pm at the Norbreck Castle Hotel. The speaker will be Dr Thomas Gray, whose speech will be on gambling "from a moral point of view", said Mr Bate.

Steven Bate