THE THRILLS of white-water canoeing could be coming to New Brighton as part of the £70m seafront revamp to recapture the resort's glory days of the past.

Developer Neptune has been holding talks with the British Canoeing Union to create a challenging channel of choppy water on the seaward side of the proposed new marine lake. The slalom course would be used to prepare canoeists for the tough white-water tests on some of the world's wildest rivers.

The turbulent torrent could be modified to gentler mode to allow families to ride the course on rubber tubes.

Mike Jones, owner and principal of the Mike Jones School of Sailing in New Brighton, said the BCU were "jumping through hoops" at the prospect of the venture.

He said: "There is nowhere in the north west that offers this facility. We could hold national international events there.

"This has been part of our plans from the beginning. We are trying to put together a feasibility study to prove it would be a huge asset to the area."

Polystyrene obstacles could be screwed into the course to simulate rocks and create different challenges. The facility could also be used by rescue services for training purposes.

The course would be around 300 metres long and up to 10 metres wide and would form part of an adventure centre. This would include a labyrinth of caves and an indoor climbing complex.

"It would be a fantastic asset," said Mr Jones.

In the meantime a special study of traffic impact created by the proposed regeneration scheme has indicated that a worst-case scenario for the Bayswater Road access to New Brighton - peak period on a sunny summer Saturday - would only create an extra 100 trips. This represents a 20 % increase on existing traffic flows.

Traffic-calming measures include the possibility of building road humps along Bayswater Road and Harrison Drive.

A retail study showed that there was significant capacity available for a further food store in Wallasey. The study showed that the Asda store in the town was trading well over the company average.

The developers are planning a tree-lined boulevard along the promenade. Other projects include a new, enlarged Floral Pavilion; open air lido, converting to an ice rink in winter; a food store; apartments; bars and restaurants; car parking and environmental improvements. A planning application has been lodged with Wirral council but the final decision will rest with the Government Office in Manchester.

Rob Mason, senior development manager with Neptune, said: "We would like to start building in July after clearance from the Government Office and reach completion in three years."