I could not agree more with the various angry comments posted about the proposal to build 350-400 apartments abutting the Midland.

It breaks my heart to think of the volunteers who have been working so hard and been instrumental in bringing this jewel back to life. I remember it well in the 1950's and more recently prior to its final closure and redevelopment.

Maybe Urban Splash feel that despite running the hotel themselves they have no option in order to recoup the development costs of the hotel than to build the apartments, but I do hope that the level of local public opinion means that the planning application will be refused.

There are so many things in our country which are being dropped into the ground and disappearing from our lives without yet another one joining them.

Any building close to the hotel will seriously detract from the overall impact of the hotel. Urban Splash might just be shooting themselves in the foot if they get the go ahead with their proposal.

Lancaster City Council and Urban Splash entered into an agreement whereby there would be a quid pro quo exchange and clearly Urban Splash are now trying to push their luck with such an opening gambit. LCC are duty bound to provide US with something but not to the currently proposed scale.

We've been down this route so many times and I've made my case a lot but here's a quick summary:

1. In the time since The Friends of the Winter Gardens purchased their building, Urban Splash have raised capital, got grant funding, liased with authorities, opened a new revitalised Midland and got bags of publicity. Evelyn Archer should be kissing their feet.

2. The land between the Midland and the Dome is a disgrace. From the other side of the Prom you can't see the Bay or the Lakes - fact! You've got to wonder she and cronies related to the MBI persist with this lie. At best buildings on this section would obscure 400 yards of view over 7 1/2 miles of prom. Mind you a prom will still run along the seaward side of the new building.

3. Lancaster City Council deserve praise not criticism. They paid over a £100,000 to make the Winter Gardens watertight and had to write off the money because no one was prepared to pay it back. They were fundamental in ensuring that Urban Splash came to The Midland and led discussions to secure vital funding from English Heritage and the NWDA. They have brilliantly led and organised the sea defence programmes, which have given us the Tern project, Flock of Words, West End Gardens, cleaned up Sandylands etc. They are leading regeneration of Morecambe and council officers are being blocked because a minority of city councillors have their own narrow agendas.

4. The scheme for the Prom is brilliant. At worst an intelligent but critical person would take a long serious look at the plans and see how such investment (in a bad economy) could be altered or used cleverly. Instead its another Ian Paisley style NO! NO! NO! from Evelyn and the MBI.

5. The MBI tried to block the M6 Northern Route, are trying to block Urban Splash (Morecambe's biggest investor) on the prom, tried to block developments on the fairground site, opposed the splash park in Happy Mount Park and much more. When are people going wake up and smell the sea air an

So Evelyn what is your suggestion? remember it has to be commercially viable, help bring people into Morecambe and be good for the local economy (Unlike the Winter Gardens which only survives off handouts). Bringing a luxury, quality development that makes the most of what Morecambe has to offer i.e. the view, is using the crown jewels not selling them off. Then spending some of the profit on a larger area than would be just a benefit to the flats is to be applauded. Wakey wakey Morecambe needs more than the Midland Hotel to revive its hayday.

I said this ages ago and everyone thought i was a grumpy old man!
I'm 38!
Wol67 your right!
Wakey wakey Morecambe!
They cancelled the light and water festival and the punk festival turning the town into a cheap dump then give you the golden answer of privatising half the prom!
Pretty much like causing a traffic jam to justify congestion charges!
As for commercially viable!
Theres a man in Glastonbury who makes millions every year out of a farmers field!
We don't need private investment in Morecambe!
What we do need is a council educated enough to market the product we have in the publics interest! (Not their own)

of couse we need private investment in morecambe but its got to be the right kind i would be more in favor of the marina sceme than urban splash's plan we dont need any more "luxury flats " in morecambe and where will our lovely sea view go from central morecambe its bad enough getting people on the prom in good weather shops on that side wont work.