THE Poulton area of Morecambe has been chosen by the council to enter a competition to win Government funds.

Poulton was selected above Skerton and the West End by the Local Strategic Partnership as the district's choice to go forward and win a place in a new Government pilot project aimed at assisting deprived areas.

The "Neighbourhood Management" scheme aims to help deprived communities and local service providers work together at the neighbourhood level in order to improve and join up local services.

Lancaster is one of 83 areas eligible for the regeneration initiative, from which just 15 areas will be chosen to act as pilots.

Over recent weeks residents in Poulton, Skerton and the West End have been playing their part in the council's work towards submitting a successful bid.

But last week the partnership agreed Poulton should go forward in a bid to become a pilot and secure Government cash.

Commenting on Poulton's selection, Lancaster City Council's director of regeneration John Donnellon said: "It was a close run thing. The consensus from today's meeting was that all three localities are in need of support. There were strong reasons for all of them and each area is already doing a great job in terms of community and agencies working together in order to build strong partnerships. However, the bidding to become a pilot area is an extremely competitive process. Part of the criteria for nominating pilot areas is that they must be "ready to go".

He added: "For that reason the partnership felt that, technically, Poulton, which is already a regeneration area, was more likely to succeed in gaining Neighbourhood Management status than the other two areas."

The final bid will now be submitted in April, with a decision due to be announced in early summer. If the area succeeds in being chosen as a Neighbourhood Management pilot area resources will then be made available to work up a local strategy and start development of the local partnership.