HUNDREDS of jobs, 459 houses, a shopping centre and a pub are earmarked for land alongside the Leigh-Atherton bypass.

The plan for the Atherton end of Atherleigh Way has been drawn-up by Midlands-based Black Country Properties whose 110 acres Gibfield Park regeneration scheme would include reclaiming open-cast and coal-tip sites.

One of the ideas is to remodel the open cast site between Bag Lane/North Road and Schofield Land creating a business park creating up to 700 new jobs and a community woodland area.

Today details of BCP's proposals for the area will be displayed at exhibitions in Hag Fold Community Centre in Dorset Road (11am-7pm) and tomorrow (Friday) at the Scout Hut, Leigh Road, Howe Bridge (11am-7pm) and locals are being given the opportunity to comment on the proposals.

BCP says its plans would "transform Gibfield Park, including the Bag lane open cast site and the former Gadbury Fold brickworks from an environmental scar to a new community asset".

The application comes as a legal tussle continues about who is responsible for restoring the opencast coal site between Schofield Lane and Bag Lane. A fortnight ago an inquiry was held regarding landowner Lilford Limited's appeal against Wigan Council enforcement notice calling on them to restore the opencast site which lies within Green Belt.

Lilford's claim is the Rackwood Colliery Company, which mined the land, is responsible for the restoration which was a condition of mineral extraction permission.

Now Black Country Properties Ltd is offering to restore the opencast site and create a woodland park, fields and countryside amenities.

The regeneration scheme would involve creating a new business park near Barr's soft drinks factory and putting in associated roads -- although North Road residents have already expressed concerns about this creating further traffic problems on the B route to Westhoughton.

The housing would be at the south end of the site to the east of the Wigan Road/Atherleigh Way junction bordering Atherton Cemetery and homes off Lovers Lane.