PLANS to furnish Morecambe's world famous Midland Hotel with a casino were unveiled this week. The north eastern wing of the art deco masterpiece is set to be extended to make way for the casino along with plans for a new restaurant and hotel entrance. Alterations to the building, along with plans to extend the car park and reinstate the Eric Gill relief sculpture will have to go before the Department of Environment for clearance.

The proposal comes after many years of speculation about the grade two listed building which was designed by Oliver Hill back in the 1930s for the London, Midland and Scottish railway.

The changes will be closely watch by members of the Twentieth Century Society who want to safeguard the Midland's unique and individual character. In a letter to the council the society's vice chairman, Alan Powers, said: "We have no objections as such to the part exchange of use to a casino but we are firmly of the opinion that this should not be the occasion for any permanent works that would alter the character of he interior, given that this is an experimental enterprise."

The application goes before planning chiefs at Monday's meeting at Morecambe Town Hall.

Midland owner Les Whittingham was unavailable for comment.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.