We, the Palatine Road Committee, cannot believe that Stay Blackpool have sold their premises to Streetlife charity.
This road is a tourism area and we are very surprised at Stay Blackpool who support and represent the hotels, guest houses and self- catering apartments.
In our eyes they are not supporting us in this instance with the planning permission which will be sought to have short stay
accommodation.
This will damage the hotel businesses on all the surrounding roads. Not only that, this will lose a considerable number of members of Stay Blackpool.
We can see this project attracting undesirables outside the building and especially if there is going to be accommodation as well.
All our guests from Palatine Road will have to walk past this place to get into the town centre.
The council says it wants to regenerate the tourism area which is Palatine Road and the surrounding areas, yet it is slowly building a bridge now between the tourism area and the town centre.
This is outrageous and we strongly appeal against the use of this property and the accommodation being granted in this building.
Lorraine Lambert
Secretary, Palatine Road Committee


Duggie's wonderful night
I have just returned home after a wonderful evening at the Opera House, Duggie Chapman's Gala Night of Stars.
It was such a pleasure to be entertained by so many talented acts, some new, some old and some very old, all working hard to entertain a very appreciative audience. Britain certainly has got talent. May I also congratulate the Martyn St James Band for their brilliant musical accompaniments to almost all the acts. Well done Duggie.
David Hewitt
Durban Court,
Thornton Cleveleys

Vote against the decline of resort
Let's get the result of the Park Ward by-election in
perspective.
Firstly, Coun Callow, be under no illusion that Peter Collins won this election, NOT the Tories.
The good people voted for the man, not the party.
Secondly, Roy Fisher was the sole reason Labour lost the seat.
This was the man who, as leader of the council, told the world that there was no alternative to the casino plan.
The wise and wonderful people of Layton threw him – and consequently his party – out at the last local elections. The people of Blackpool who work hard every day within the hospitality industry in Blackpool were not having him put this town down.
The last Labour administration here is to blame for the decline of Blackpool.
that is why so many of their councillors were thrown out of office leading to the ever hopeful tories taking control.
The priority for the
survival of this town is to
promote it, not decry it.
Most of the councillors still sitting in the council chamber were party to the lack of enthusiasm for promoting anything other than stag and hens and gambling sheds.
Ken Cooper
Dickson Road
North Shore


My answers to minister
Beverley Hughes, Regional Minister for the North West, (The Gazette, June 26) is seeking people's views on the proposed legislation, "Preparing Britain for the Future" that the Government will bring before Parliament in the next session.
Here are my answers to some of her challenges:
1. "Sustaining a greener environment." This has to be done as the European Union could fine us £1 million per day if we do not meet land fill targets they have set us.
2 "How can democracy be strengthened?" New Labour has already shown how democratic it is by promising a Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and retracting it.
3 "How can fairness and
opportunity be most widely spread?" Ireland had a opportunity to vote in a fair election on the Lisbon treaty, they voted NO. As agreed by all the EU leaders, if one country said No, then the treaty would be finished. As the EU does not know what No means, Ireland have kindly been given to October to "rethink" (I hope they continue to say no)
Beverley Hughes knows perfectly well that her hands are tied by the Committee of The regions in Brussels, so why waste more of the taxpayers' money on such a futile exercise?
Jennifer Roberts
Norbreck Road, Little Bispham

Church won't listen to people
The recent article by Jacqueline Morley on radical reorganisation of the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Diocese by the Roman Catholic Church (The Gazette, June 17) was as usual highly researched and of profound concern to parishioners and churches' falling congregations, who
apparently are not listened to by the bishops.
Unfortunately, the Catholic church has lost its Latin-type simplicity and is now heavily dominated in parishes by top heavy committees and sub-committees with bureaucratic obsessiveness. Massively declining income of the church via disappearing congregations is also compelling the diocese to drastically change this once "people's church".
Robert McDougall
Blackpool


Thanks for your support
Thornton Cleveleys Friends of Trinity Hospice thank everyone who supported their coffee morning at the Wings Club., Cleveleys, raising £665 for the hospice. Thanks also to the Wings Club for allowing us to use their building.
Dorothy Marks