The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is working with Blackpool Council to investigate the possibility of establishing a new exhibition centre at the Lancashire seaside resort.

A feasibility study is currently being carried out by both the museum and the council to see whether the venture will be able to progress, although a decision is not expected until March 2009.

One of the options reportedly being looked at in the study includes the creation of a new seafront building to house the proposed new Victoria and Albert-branded exhibition centre.

The council's cabinet member for culture and communities, Tony Williams, told the Sunday Times newspaper: "We want to change what we can offer to visitors. Ideally we're looking for a brand new iconic building with plenty of glass to ensure natural light, which is so good for exhibitions.

However, a spokesperson for the council revealed that existing buildings are also being considered as a potential location as part of the Victoria and Albert plans, but a decision was still "a long way off."

The news follows a government report published in July, which said that Blackpool needed to attract more visitors from higher social classes in order to 'diversify' the town's tourism following a failed attempt to to establish a supercasino at the resort.

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