Glasgow must improve travel links to win supercasino (UK)

(source: The Herald August 10, 2006)

Glasgow must improve travel links to win supercasino

STEPHEN STEWART August 10 2006

SCOTLAND’S transport links must be improved if Glasgow is to win the UK’s only supercasino licence, according to the government’s advisory panel.
The panel, which will recommend the location of the sole regional or resort-style casino, has issued a checklist of questions to each of the eight shortlisted local authorities.
It asked for assurances about the progress on a number of proposed transport links including the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, the M74 development and improvement to the subway system. Glasgow City Council must convince the panel the developments will go ahead if the city is to stay in the running for the supercasino.
Panel members also quizzed the council about expansion plans at Glasgow Airport and the city’s profile as an international tourist destination. Council officials have also been asked to explain how the proposed regional casino would benefit the long-term unemployed in the area.
Glasgow is currently lying second behind the Millennium Dome in the race to get the supercasino licence.
Professor Stephen Crow, the panel’s chair, also said that an examination in public into the Glasgow proposal would be held in the city on September 4 to allow interested parties to have their say.
He said: “The further evidence provided will assist the panel to make its recommendation to the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport. The examination in public will take the form of a round-table discussion by the council and participants invited by the panel.
“In inviting participants, the panel will see that as full a range of views as possible is represented. As Parliament has already decided that there should be one regional casino in Britain, the panel will expect participants to give their views on why or why not it should be in Glasgow rather than their views on gambling generally.”
A list of eight potential supercasino sites – Blackpool, Brent, Cardiff, Glasgow, Greenwich, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield – could be extended after other councils were invited to submit more information.
Blackpool, one of the front-runners, was asked to give more details on what would happen to their regeneration plans if they were not successful in gaining the recommendation for the one regional casino license.
Officials also asked organisers of the Greenwich bid, another favourite to land the supercasino, whether there would be adequate transport links including easy access to the Stratford Eurostar terminal.
Potential sites for the Glasgow casino include the £1bn Glasgow Harbour development, Rangers FC’s Ibrox stadium, and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.
A council spokesman said: “We remain confident of Glasgow’s bid as we’ve made a compelling economic and social case for the regional casino.”
Recently, members of the advisory panel assessed factors such as social impact, the need for regeneration, and willingness to licence before giving the Dome the highest rating, followed closely by Glasgow.
Glasgow scored highly in terms of regeneration benefits, willingness to licence, probability of implementation and general ability to draw visitors.
West Dunbartonshire and Midlothian councils dropped out of the running for the licence.
The recommendations will eventually be put to Tessa Jowell, Culture Secretary, and the successful bid is expected to be announced early next year.

Date Posted: 10-Aug-2006