BLACKPOOL ZOO could soon be "up for grabs" after a council sub-committee decided to publicly invite bids for its future management and operation.

The decision came after the zoo sub-committee considered an approach from a group -- led by Michael Fielding, the zoo's animal health consultant -- which proposed to set up a charitable trust to run the zoo.

But the committee's decision at the meeting last Friday means that the animal park could be open to bids from any interested parties, including private individuals or leisure companies.

The zoo, on West Park Drive, is currently the only large zoo in mainland Britain owned and operated by a local authority. But there are worries that opportunities for any major improvement schemes or redevelopment to the zoo would be limited, as priorities for council money lie elsewhere.

A report on the options for the future of the zoo by Julian Kearsley, the council's corporate director of business services, stated: "Blackpool Zoo will experience difficulty in getting access to sufficient funds whilst it remains in council control as other services are far more important. Access to the necessary funds could be eased through private sector or trust involvement, although there are no guarantees."

The report highlighted ownership of zoos such as Port Lummne Wild Animal Park and Suffolk Wildlife Park by "wealthy business individuals" as an example of an option for the zoo's future, along with examples of charity and trust zoos, such as London and Whipsnade.

Coun Allan Matthews, who chaired the zoo sub-committee, said that it was only fair to open the bids to all interested parties and he would not rule out the possibility of accepting tenders from private leisure bosses.

"If they were interested they could certainly put in a bid. There are all sorts of possibilities. Maybe Chester Zoo trust might decide they want to expand -- they might be interested. We just don't know yet. We will have to wait and see," he said.

But Coun Matthews stressed that certain criteria -- not yet fully drawn up -- would be laid down which would safeguard the zoo's animals and staff.

"We are advertising it as a zoo. First and foremost we have got to protect the staff and the animals. That's the main consideration. But we are opening it up to see if there are any other interested parties. It wouldn't have been right to consider one trust in isolation," he said.

Michael Fielding, who heads the group proposing to set up an independent, non-profit making trust to run the zoo, said: "My hope is that one of the conditions that any future tender will put as a prime condition is that the zoo should remain as a zoo and not be turned into a theme park, but that's a council decision. The trust would not be looking to develop in that area -- we would keep it as a zoo."

He said that the trust would approach commercial firms and charitable bodies for aid to develop the zoo.

"We see the way forward as developing the aspect of education, and we will try to introduce some new species, especially northern hemisphere species. Blackpool Zoo has a good reputation and we would want to see continuing development," he said.

Other plans by the group include developing the zoo's big cats, hoofed stock, monkeys, reptiles, insects and its "flagship" species -- the elephants, sea lions, orang-utans and gorillas.

"But like every aspect of conservation, in order to move forward, we have to finance it and we have to raise the money," he said.