ELECTION 99: Party manifestoes.

There are 103 candidates fighting for 44 seats. The present constitution of the council is Labour 32, Conservatives 7, Lib Dems 4, Independent 1.There is no voting this year in the Fylde or Wyre districts.

LABOUR -- Blackpool Labour Party is determined that Blackpool shall be recognised as a vibrant, prosperous town -- the premier visitor destination in the UK.

They say: "We aim to develop a healthy year-round economy for businesses and individuals and promote Blackpool as the sub-regional centre for the Fylde coast.

"It is unique and we should be improving what we have and not trying to invent it into something it could never be.

"Town centre shopping is vital to present Blackpool as a go-ahead community in which businesses can prosper. Blackpool Labour Council will work with developers to facilitate and promote this welcome renewed interest in the town.

"We recognise the tourist industry cannot stand still -- progress is crucial. Conferences can no longer be guaranteed to return to Blackpool year after year. The competition for the conference trade is particularly fierce -- the upgrading of our facilities is essential if we are to compete in that market. Quality should be our watchword.

"The Labour Council will aim to provide improved and more reliable public transport, less congestion and better maintained roads. Home zones will have maximum speed limits of 20 mph and there will be safer routes to school through traffic calming.

"We recognise the importance of railways and will continue to press for improvements.

We will continue to improve cleanliness by increasing litter bin provision, improving street cleaning and enforcing by-laws on dog fouling and street drinking.

"The success of CCTV cameras means we will increase provision wherever possible and try to reduce anti-social behaviour by visitors. A reduction of beggars and the ban on drinking on the streets will be enforced. Substance misuse is a big problem and Blackpool Labour is working to reduce the problems associated with this.

"With education, Labour will reduce infant class sizes, offer more advice and support to pupils and parents, provide equal access for all and aim to modernise method and buildings." CONSERVATIVE -- The Conservative Party has pledged to seek an early end to the dirty sea water problem and hammer North West Water to bring in tertiary treatment of sewage.

Their manifesto also says that regular street cleaning will be initiated which won't rely on residents informing the cleansing department of litter problem -- "all areas of the borough will be cleaned and this will be an ongoing service.

"We will bring about a rolling programme of road repairs aimed at dealing with substandard road surfaces -- we won't bring in traffic calming measures where they are not needed.

"We will seek to create a new 'front door' for the resort with imaginative attractions and shops which do not duplicate the town centre but will add to the diversity of Blackpool.

"We will look at ways of providing more car parks and encourage more quality shops within the centre. Beggars and street traders will not be tolerated. We will work for better access for the disabled to all public buildings. On the first day of a Conservative administration arrangements will be made for the elephants in Blackpool Zoo to be relocated to an animal sanctuary and animal goads will be abolished.

"Education is a priority and we will strive for lower class sizes and fight efforts to repeal Section 28 -- public money should be spent on raising standards, not promoting homosexuality. We will bring in a 20mph speed limit near to schools.

"In terms of policing, more bobbies are needed on the beat -- 10 is simply not enough. We will extend CCTV and improve street lighting. Conservatives believe in serious sentences for serious crimes.

"Conservatives will resist passing on to community charge payers monies to pay for asylum seekers.

"We will start to revitalise the parks and gardens and adopt a policy of building on "brown sites". We seek to preserve what is left of Blackpool's greenery. Conservatives believe in common sense. LIB DEM -- Blackpool Liberal Democrats say they are committed to making Blackpool cleaner and "greener."

"Blackpool is being ruined by overbuilding and bad planning. It is officially the most densely built-on borough in the north of England but the council are still selling off the little green space we have left.

"We will reverse the decision to build on the public land at Leys Farm and will insist on the majority of future building being carried out on reclaimed, derelict sites.

"We will make cleaning up Blackpool a top priority. We will appoint litter wardens with the power to impose on-the-spot fines for littering or dog fouling. We want more litter bins and street cleaning.

"We want the council to quickly remove eyesores from the streets and back alleys of Blackpool. We want the council to be tougher on noise pollution, taking quicker action against nuisance neighbours.

"We will introduce as a priority 20mph speed limits around our schools and then work towards a 20mph limit for all residential streets. We want to make it safe for our children and parents to walk to school. More children are killed by traffic than by any other cause. We believe residents are desperate to see traffic outside their homes slowed down.

"We will extend CCTV coverage to secondary shopping areas, like Highfield Road. The cameras in town have been a success but have driven criminals to seek new targets. We must help the police by putting the technology in place to identify and prosecute criminals.

"We will reintroduce park keepers to our neighbourhood parks and chase out the vandals, hooligans and drug dealers.

"We would seek out a sanctuary for the elephants at Blackpool Zoo.

"We will pay for all this by ending the £1m a year subsidy paid to the Winter Gardens.

"When elected, all Liberal Democrat councillors will be free to vote according to the issues and their conscience. We will end the practice of secret meetings and contrived votes." INDEPENDENT -- Independent candidate Ken Turner proposes that immediate action be taken to engage a "Tourism Tsar" whose brief would include developing a non-political and independent local tourist authority that would promote the resort and unify all associations to promote Blackpool as a family environment.

"Police resources are limited and villains are aware of limited sentences imposed. I emphasise forging bonds with local bobbies and an extension of the mountain bike force. More crime prevention meetings are needed and magistrates must be encouraged to administer just penalties.

"Refuse will be collected more frequently via central collection points and litter bins will be sited 100 yards apart. On-the-spot fines will be enforced and dog litter will be penalised. I will take action to implement the by-law on drinking in the streets.

"Streets are congested and investment in parking and against car crime is vital.

"I propose an immediate withdrawal of goads and a ban on using animals in circus style acts. Action against those who accept permanent asylum seekers needs speeding up as the current appeals procedure allows them months or years of helpful revenue at a cost of damage to the tourist trade.

"It is time to replace the executive committee with a slimmed down management committee which is answerable to full council with full representation of the people being recognised.

There will be no major conference in Blackpool this year - we must encourage development of new sites that encompass retail, accommodation and other trades. The rewards will be substantial and I propose rate relief should be offered. "Encouraging shoppers is a must and a Trafford Park style development with free local transport such as "park and ride" could bring in major outlets and would be an excellent opportunity to develop a new town centre. Independent candidate Roger Humphreys says he has been a resident in his ward for 35 years and is keenly aware of both environmental and human issues and the means of integrating these practically.

"I am diversely experienced in scientific communication, teaching/caring fields and the best expressions of these.

"My interests lie partly within our heritage and partly in the future thus achieving direction to conservation and purpose in politics in the service of others.

"I actively support the Leys Farm campaign. I am always willing to listen and bring many perspectives and ideas together to that which is truly possible."

Independent candidates Beverley Moy and Anne Valerie Heyworth say they will fight on

"WE have fought to save Leys Farm from developers for almost three years and will continue in this fight.

"We would say to residents: we pledge to fight for the return of democracy in the council chamber.

"We will fight for open government and will listen to the people and represent their views in the council chamber.

"We pledge to vote on issues with regard, always, to the majority will of the people of Greenlands and to continue to fight for Leys farm.

"We are ably supported by the Liberal Democrats, the only local party with a green policy, concerned with local issues and with no party whip. NON-POLITICAL candidate Edward Dixon says: "The people of Warbreck ward elected me as their Conservative councillor. I have recently resigned from the Conservative group and decided to stand as a non-political candidate. I have for some time been totally disillusioned with party politics in local government.

"Councillors should represent the people and not a political party. The recent changes in local councils have created a totally undemocratic system. Blackpool electors will vote for a total of 44 councillors, yet with this Labour government's so-called local council reforms only six councillors known as the executive committee will make the majority of decisions for the whole town.

"I believe that the electorate should vote for the person best suited to represent them.

"One of the great things about being a councillor is the ability to help and assist people when they have problem. I have worked hard during the last three years for the people of Warbreck ward and the town in general and I sincerely hope that I will be elected for another term.

"The people of Blackpool need to feel safe on the streets, so law and order will be one of my main priorities, along with improvements in education, social services, street cleaning and better facilities for our town's pensioners.

"We must also try and improve facilities for the business community in our town and encourage more investment and create more jobs."