MANY English seaside towns seem as if they are stuck in a time warp, in an era when families and charabancs full of factory workers would converge on the shore for fun and frolics.

As buildings decay and holiday makers flock to warmer shores resorts like Blackpool and Morecambe on the English northwest coast are looking to refresh their image.

Blackpool council has drawn up radical plans to turn its stretch of coastline, known as the Golden Mile, into what some have called the new Las Vegas of Europe.

The town is keen to capitalize on a proposed deregulation of Britain's gambling laws.

"Blackpool needs to see major change if it is to turn the tide and create a prosperous future," said deputy council leader Eddie Collett.

The aim is to build five big casinos and create around 30,000 new jobs. The project is already underway but developers say it will take until 2020 to finish.

Council officials say the plan could generate around 437 million pounds (US$770 million) a year and increase annual tourist visitors to around 15 million from 11 million now.

The glitz of Las Vegas feels a long way from Blackpool.

Its sandy beach is often strewn with litter and it is hard to find much better food than a burger.

Wrong sort of clientele

Many residents acknowledge the resort is not looking its best but some worry that the casino plan could attract the wrong sort of clientele.

"There are enough alcoholics and gamblers anyway in Blackpool," said sweet-seller Pat Whitty, referring to a current craze for stag and hen night parties in the resort.

"Casinos will definitely scare families away," added Whitty. "Blackpool will lose its old seaside image."

Up the coast in Morecambe, planners' aims are less ambitious: some work has been done on the promenade, including a display board mapping the nearby Lake District mountains.

But Stuart Grounsell, sitting in his empty sea front cafe, said most people found the display an eyesore. "It is rusty and is symptomatic of Morecambe," he said.

The well-publicized deaths of up to 23 Chinese cockle-pickers who drowned on the sands in February have also soured the mood.

A clear sign of Morecambe's decline is the Midland Hotel, a protected art deco building that was once the pride of the town. It now stands dilapidated, awaiting restoration.

Morecambe's proximity to the picturesque Lake District, once home to writers William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter, could be a selling point but is seldom exploited.

Poor quality housing

"There is hope for Morecambe," Geraldine Smith, the town's member of parliament, said. "We must concentrate on the natural beauty of the place and the potential to leave your stresses behind."

Smith said both resorts suffered from a proliferation of poor quality housing, especially old guesthouses filled by the homeless. Blackpool's difficulties were far worse, she added.

"The casino idea alone is not enough to solve Blackpool's problems. It needs to look at infrastructure and the streets of tatty old ex-boarding houses."

A spokeswoman for Blackpool council said: "As with many seaside towns with so much holiday accommodation we have to be careful to manage how it is used out of season."

Blackpool has tried to boost its out of season trade, most notably by turning on bright lights in the autumn "Illuminations".

The casino plan seeks to make the resort a year-round destination, despite the often wet winter weather.

Brighton, on the south coast, rivals Blackpool as England's leading seaside resort but in many ways is very different.

With easy transport links to London, Brighton has evolved into a trendy place with fashionable bars and boutiques, to the regret of some residents who feel it has lost its individuality.

Blackpool's plans will bring in new investment, but it may be hard to preserve its former charm.

(Agencies via Xinhua)