PLANS to regenerate St Annes ailing town centre have moved further forward as members of the public and private sectors pledged their support to the St Annes Development Partnership at a recent meeting.

Representatives from all sections of the community, including Lancashire Constabulary and the Chamber of Trade, came together this month to offer their opinion on the ambitious redevelopment plans.

And Paul Drinnan, chief planning officer at Fylde Borough Council, commented: "This initiative cannot be simply Council driven, it must involve many interests. The meeting was attended by about 35 people and the scheme received a positive reception. We are committed to giving a facelift to the centre of St Annes, which is looking rather tired at the moment.

"We want to create a more modern look, developed by everyone with an interest in the area.

"The eventual hope is to economically regenerate the area by attracting new businesses and customers."

A public exhibition of the work is planned for September, probably in one of the unused shops in the square, which will showcase the plans and allow public comment, and it is hoped work will begin on the first phase early next year.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.