Casino decision: questions mount

Casino decision: questions mount

One of the five panellists who controversially ruled that Britain's first supercasino should go to Manchester is an avid Manchester City fan and season ticket holder who formerly worked for Manchester county council.

Despite panellist Chris Collison's close association with the City, he was not barred from evidence sessions in which Manchester representatives were quizzed.

In fact Collison, in one of his rare interactions during the hearings, 'energetically' asked a Northwest Regional Development Agency official to justify why the organisation selected Blackpool ahead of Manchester as its preferred destination for a supercasino.

The news has shocked Blackpool officials, who are now weighing up whether to press for a judicial review of last week's decision. Collison was on holiday this weekend and unavailable for comment, but a spokesman for the Casino Advisory Panel (CAP) said: 'Panel members considered carefully whether Collison's interests were sufficient as to be prejudicial to their considerations. They decided that they were not and that he should not be excluded from discussions on Manchester's proposal.'

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It comes as growing evidence emerges of deep disquiet among Labour MPs and peers over the CAP's decision, with several indicating that they will vote against Manchester in Parliament. Manchester was a 16-1 outsider and most observers believed the supercasino race was really only between Blackpool and the Dome in Greenwich.

It has also come to light that senior members of Gamcare, the industry-funded charity that offers advice and help on the social impact of gambling, has deep reservations about a supercasino with 1,250 slot machines sited in a major conurbation. 'There's cause for concern that the location is close to a deprived area. When asked, we consistently suggested the site be removed from conurbations,' said one insider.

Sir Howard Bernstein, Manchester council's chief executive, has said he will look at alternative sites for the supercasino, currently earmarked to be located next to Manchester City's stadium. However, council sources say there is no viable alternative.

It has been alleged that, prior to the bidding process, the council entered into an understanding with controversial South African casino tycoon Sol Kerzner to open a gambling 'mega-site' at the East Manchester site. This is denied by the council.

A supercasino will create thousands of jobs and a financial windfall. Blackpool based a plan to turn around its fortunes on winning the licence, while the Dome wanted a casino to underpin its other attractions.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2006