A REPORT suggesting the Wyre is missing out on National Lottery grants has been slammed by the council's chief of leisure and tourism.

The survey by an organisation which monitors lottery grant allocations implied the Wyre was bottom of the league table within the North West for boroughs receiving grants.

It claimed Preston got £28 million last year while Blackpool, Fylde and the Wyre together received only £8 million.

But Wyre leisure and tourism chief Tom Pridmore claimed the report was misleading.

He said: "The report ignores the good number of excellent community initiatives in the arts, sports and charities taking place in the borough.

"The figures used are misleading because the lottery distributors allocate grant aid to the address from which the application has been made.

"This means lottery grants serving the whole of the county will invariably be made from administrative centres at Preston which means the grant is allocated to that borough.

"Similarly on the Fylde coast major lottery funded initiatives which have benefited residents in all three boroughs are often allocated just to Blackpool.

"For example the recent CREST (Community Resources Equipment Store) project will appear as allocated to Blackpool but, in fact, will provide a valuable service to communities in the Wyre.

"We even have a case of a project in the Wyre being allocated to Blackpool because that is the postal address of the secretary."

Mr Pridmore added that lottery distributing agencies prioritise areas of deprivation and social need which meant inner cities attracted most funding.

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