THE people of Blackpool are being urged to show the strength of feeling against a plan to remove seating from the town hall.

Blackpool Council will re-open the debate over the proposed removal of seating in historic Committee Room A at a special meeting on Monday.

A decision was taken in January to remove the seating as part of a larger package of measures to improve the building. New lighting and IT equipment for making presentations would be installed in committee room A.

But, after opposition from heritage groups and some leading councillors, the plans are to be debated again at a special full meeting of the council, which the public can attend, at 10.30am on Monday morning.

"I'm asking for the people of the town to turn up in their numbers to protest about the threat to the heritage of the town," said Conservative group leader, Cllr Peter Callow.

"Committee room A is a little gem. We do not have much heritage in the town because we are a relatively new, modern town," said Cllr Callow: "I know there is a strength of feeling against this proposal because there are people coming up to me in the street to give me their thoughts.

"This is an opportunity for this very important item to be be discussed as a single entity."

Cllr Callow added that new meeting space to meet the council's needs could be created on the ground floor of the town hall.

The council proposes moving the seating to the resort's Central Library on Queen Street.