FYLDE council bosses have pledged to meet with protesters opposed to selling off St Annes town hall in a bid to 'clear the air.'

The council has also admitted that a controversial upgrade of civic facilities at the town's Lowther Pavilion is one of the options being explored.

The council's chief executive, Ken Lee, wants to meet with protesters who collected more than 1,000 signatures for a petition against the sale of the town hall.

As the Citizen revealed last week, a deal has been struck with developers, David McLean Ltd, who will build new facilities and maximise profits from selling off existing buildings.

Mr Lee said this week: "I have listened with enthusiasm to every comment made around this subject and I'm pleased to see that so many people are passionate about their town.

"My main concern is that not all the facts have been made available at this stage and this is something we are aiming to rectify."

Mr Lee says that the town hall, a former hotel, would need an expensive upgrade to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and Health and Safety regulations.

"Changes to the town hall would prove very costly and would have to be met by a increase in council tax for every resident.

"Even then we would still be left with uncertain ongoing maintenance costs and inefficient operations with limited availability of services to the public and staff working from old and outmoded buildings."

Improved civic facilities at the Lowther Pavilion are one of several options being considered by the council, who will also look at setting up 'one stop shops' across the area, possibly involving other public sector bodies such as the Fylde Primary Care Trust.

Fears over the future of the town hall have also prompted campaigners seeking to set up a town council for St Annes to step up a gear.

Members of the Town Council steering group fear the town will lose its identity if more key buildings are demolished or converted into flats. The group needs 10 per cent of town residents to sign a petition asking for a council to be created. It will then be for the Government to decide whether the council should be set up.

Steering group members will be at St Annes Square on Saturday, next Tuesday and the following Saturday to collect more signatures.

A spokesman said "There is a clear need for St Annes to have a say in how it is governed -- you only have to look at what has been lost from the town -- Ashton Theatre, the War Memorial Hospital, the Football League building, and the College building to name but a few.

"Individual residences and other buildings of character, have been demolished to feed the proliferation of flats.

"Now we hear the Town Hall, Public Offices and our other civic buildings are to be bulldozed for flats. Even the sand dunes are to have flats built on them.

The people of the town really do need a stronger voice in these matters, and to have our view taken into account by law. Only a Council for St Annes can do that."