SALFORD FOREST Park won't be a mini-Disney Land nor a concrete jungle.

Neil Southwell, architect and project manager of the proposed Worsley racecourse venture has hit out at "unfair criticism" of the development which could create nearly 1,000 jobs

Residents associations in Worsley and Boothstown have mainly opposed the park plans which include a racecourse, hotel, equestrian centre, and eco-village, claiming it would create Traffic and parking chaos and damage the environment.

Mr Southwell claims residents' fears are unfounded and believes people are unaware of many aspects about the Peel Holdings-proposed development.

He said: "Because Peel Holdings built the Trafford Centre where there's a massive car park people think we are just going to build all over this land. But our intention is to keep it green."

Mr Southwell says they only intend to build on 0.05 pc of the total area and the site's woodland will be increased by 16 pc.

Peel Holdings claim the race course would broaden the range of North-west facilities and would be the nearest racecourse for 3.87 million people.

A four-floor grandstand is planned, incorporating a racing museum, which would be screened from Boothstown by woodland.

But the 1,700 acre Salford Forest Park would be far more than just a racecourse.

Horse riders of any ability could use an equestrian centre planned for Malkins Wood Farm. The existing farmhouse would be retained with enough stabling for between 80 to 100 horses.

Visitors wanting to stay longer could stop at chalets in an eco-village and an 18 hole golf course and driving range is another highlight of project.

Currently the land in question is privately owned and not open to the public. The scheme would open up vast areas to public recreation with 25 miles of public footpaths planned.

A woodland visitor centre would allow visitors to view the woods from a "fox's view" with its subterranean exhibition spaces. Plans are also afoot to develop the UK's first ever tree-top walkway complementing woodland trails, cycle trails, bridleways, forest walks, a craft workshop and variety of children's play areas.

Mr Southwell added that the scheme will decrease the amount of human disturbance within Botany Bay Wood and that ecological and nature conservation issues have been considered in great detail.

Far from making traffic problems worse, as some residents fear, Mr Southwell believe the scheme will make it better.

He said: "Traffic's already a problem on the M60. The Highways Agency completed a study on M60 and has been out to consultation coming up with improvements."

He added there would only be 30 race days a year, mainly at weekends, and visitors would not be arriving at peak traffic times.

Parking will be on landfill areas and as racing days will be by ticket only, developers say there will be more than enough room for all parking to be on site.

Peel Holdings aim to keep floodlighting to a minimum and Mr Southwell anticipates that only one or two of the evening races would have to be lit.

He added: "I think we have had unfair criticism."

Although a team of people have been working on the plans for years the development is still at the outline planning stage. Plans would need secretary of state approval to go-ahead and it could be 2004 before any final decision is made.