TOWN centre retail managers and council chiefs are confident that Blackpool can be transformed back into the bustling shopping centre it once was -- despite worrying moves in the pipe-line.

One such development is the recent announcement of plans to further expand and regenerate Preston town centre which would give the town up to 500,000 sq. ft extra retail floor space.

Blackpool planning chief Reg Haslam said: "The situation is that if the Preston development does go-ahead it will cast a shadow over the rest of Lancashire. It will also be a major concern for Blackpool and may dissuade large companies from investing in Blackpool.

"The current council is seeking to attract new investment to the town and we are doing everything we can. The strategy is to promote investment in the town and seek to limit out-of-town developments.

"We will be attempting to make Blackpool as attractive as possible to investors by various means such as improving accessibility to car parks and giving more of them a safe status through CCTV cameras.

"There is a lot happening and hopefully, once the ball gets rolling, things will improve."

A key part of the regeneration of the resort lies in a £70 million extension to the Hounds Hill Shopping Centre which is set to begin next year, hopefully ahead of Preston's project.

Hounds Hill manager John Holt said: "We should be in front of Preston's plan and we are currently in negotiations with a major department store.

"I feel very optimistic for Blackpool and believe our loyalty is with the locals. I feel that everyone in the town needs to pull together to ensure we can compete with Preston. We will be looking at doing a regular late night shopping on a Thursday and the possibility of free parking. We must stay positive and we are actually riding quite high at the moment with the number of people passing through the centre this September being up by 10 per cent on September 2000."

The recently opened new-look Marks and Spencers store in Blackpool should also help contribute to the regeneration of the centre and give other businesses in the area the confidence to spend and invest. There are also plans to refurbish and improve Poulton's Teanlowe shopping centre, to attract shoppers back to the area.

Blackpool Council's Tory group leader Peter Callow said: "Blackpool has a very difficult task ahead to compete with Preston. The resort really needs to get its act together and move on with the times.

"The Hounds Hill expansion is still in the future and the plans for a huge development by Blackpool bus station has I believe been put back."