MILLIONS of pounds may be ploughed in to Tyldesley and Astley and YOU can play a part in deciding how the money is best spent.

An ambitious plan costing between £3m-£5m to boost the life chances of young children and their families looks set to be given the go-ahead.

People living on Shakerley housing estate and the older, northern part of the former mine and mill town, along with residents of estate homes off Astley Street and Princes Avenue and Manchester Road, Blackmoor, look set to benefit over the next five years.

This great news for local young families will be boosted next week when a series of meetings have been organised so parents can discover more about the 'Sure Start' programme and voice their opinion on how the massive windfall should best be spent.

Subject to the government approving a detailed delivery plan, the final go-ahead would come by the end of summer launching a project to give nought to four-year-olds the best possible start in life as part of a government aim to eliminate child poverty within a generation.

Improving children's health and learning abilities are prime targets, along with promoting physical, intellectual, social and environmental development of the under four-year-olds thereby strengthening family life and community values.

Wigan's head of economic regeneration Adrian Hardy told the Journal: "Hopefully £3million to £5million will be available starting later this year but with a big spend in 2002 continuing until 2006.

"The Government has allocated money to the borough council which is ring-fenced for this. By the end of April an outline plan must be submitted for by the end of July and a detailed plan as the funding would be spent must be in by the end of July."

The regeneration will begin if the government is satisfied with the objectives drawn up. Mr Hardy said: "Public meetings have been arranged which are an open house for people to air their views. It may be we will have volunteers who come forward to work with us on the board and they will benefit from receiving the training for such a position."

Items which will come under discussions at meetings on Monday and Tuesday of next week are opportunities which will make life better for parents and their offspring.

That could be through providing child care facilities which would enable single parents to go out to work or 'upskill' training in IT, literacy and numeracy, health advice and better play facilities and educational aids.

Mr Hardy added: "The meetings will give people the opportunity to tell us how they would like to see the money spent to make life better."

Wigan Council leader Lord Peter Smith welcomed the plan: "We are really pleased to have won a second Sure Start area. The Tyldesley area has not up to now qualified for significant levels of government regeneration funding and so this will be a very welcome boost for the area. It is all about partnership with the health agencies, with government and above all with parents in the area and this is something where the council has a good reputation. I am confident our proposals will be approved.

"We want to know what people think is the best way of investing this money which is why we have called the meetings to explain the principles behind the programme and see where residents think the local priorities lie."

Two meetings will take place: on Monday (10am-noon) at Shakerley Primary School in Lancaster Avenue and (2pm-4pm) at St Stephen's School in Manchester Road, Astley; on Tuesday (6pm-8pm) at St George's Central primary school, Darlington Street and all residents are welcome.