A BLOCKED development at the Freeport Shopping Village could have benefited Blackpool as well as Wyre, a local council leader believes.

Blackpool Council strongly objected to the £20m expansion, dismissed by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, but Cllr Alan Vincent says that studies show many Freeport shoppers also flock to the neighbouring resort.

"I think Blackpool has only one agenda and that is to support Blackpool," said Cllr Vincent, leader of Wyre Borough Council.

"I find that very disappointing. When Freeport did a survey of their customers," he said, "it revealed that something like 25 per cent of them go on to Blackpool.

"Fleetwood is the only deprived part of Wyre, and government guidelines say that any major developments should take place on brownfield sites in deprived areas, but this £20m development is turned down. I cannot see how this is joined-up government.

"The £20 million investment is now going to Strasbourg, but we will still be working to help Freeport improve."

Cllr Vincent also said that opposition to the scheme from Lancashire County Council and senior Labour councillors in Wyre had damaged the scheme's prospects.

Freeport has now chosen to invest the £20 million earmarked for Fleetwood in a new development near Strasbourg, France.

Blackpool Council's portfolio holder for regeneration and tourism, Eddie Collett, said: "We are pleased the Government has supported our position, which was always the protection of town centre shopping. Freeport has already damaged Fleetwood town centre and the expansion would have certainly damaged Blackpool."

The latest row comes as the Boundaries Commission considers bringing Fleetwood under the remit of Blackpool Council.

Blackpool Council wants to take over Fleetwood and Cleveleys -- currently part of Wyre, and a proposal by Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors in Blackpool would see a 'city of the Fylde' created.

However, Wyre council is adamant it wants nothing to do with Blackpool and would prefer a merger with Fylde.

Cllr Vincent believes Blackpool's intervention in the Freeport debate will strengthen public hostility to the takeover.

"Their view will certainly be that, if Blackpool were to take over Thornton Cleveleys and Fleetwood then Thornton Cleveleys and Fleetwood will be sidelined," added Cllr Vincent.