ON BEHALF of the Morecambe Bay Independents and others who are working hard to improve Morecambe, I would like to take issue with Geraldine Smith's comments on the front page of last weeks Citizen.

The tourism market in Morecambe is not dead, it has merely begun its much needed transformation to new types of business. 'Accommodation full' signs mean exactly that. Good hotels and boarding houses are still taking visitors in numbers, and not just in the summer.

The Morecambe Action Plan proposes to build on health, sport and the environment for its upmarket holiday niche, that in itself will make this an even better place to live.

Most councillors, along with local and national business and volunteers, have been working together to promote and improve the district, while Geraldine's comments seem to confirm that Labour wants Morecambe to change into a social housing estate for Lancaster.

We know that during Labour's last administration they took Morecambe Market from Poulton and replaced it with intensive social housing, against the wishes of local people. Labour also filled in every possible site in the West End with social housing.

It has been said by Labour councillors that the Frontierland site should be housing, but Independents totally disagree.

Morecambe still has a future as a resort, and an exceptional one at that, but business cannot afford to sit by and wait for the deprivation to be dealt with first. More agencies and more handouts are not the answer.

Public and private sectors need to work together to continue to encourage investment and bring in employment and wealth - and that in itself will deal with the deprivation while ensuring that business not only survives but flourishes.

We have excellent companies with good track records investing in Morecambe - Urban Splash in the Midland Hotel, Morrisons in a retail complex, Wetherspoons in Euston Road, Reebok on the central promenade, and many more.

The housing market is beginning to boom with properties in the resort increasing in value, what we don't need is a negative 'can't do' mentality telling investors not to bother.

If as much energy was put into positive promotion of the district instead of a handful of critics always looking for the negative, all taxpayers of this district would be wealthier in many ways.

Think positive for Morecambe.

Cllr Tricia Heath, Morecambe Bay Independents