WIGAN Council chiefs are taking legal action to block a Government Inspector's decision to allow houses to be built on a Leigh wildlife "oasis".

Planning inspector Norah Ball, of the department of the environment, approved outline planning permission for a 10 acre housing estate on Greenfield land at Taylor's Hole, next to Pennington Brook, last year.

Council planners say they would have blocked the plan before developer Milnes Gaskell Estates appealed to the secretary of state.

Now Wigan Council is to lodge a formal challenge in the High Court after the inspector's decision was met with howls of protest.

Leigh councillor Mark Hale has slammed the inspection decision as "barmy" and his colleagues on the Development Control Committee blasted it as "illogical".

Wildlife campaigners also feared for the survival of rare species such as the Kingfisher and water vole which inhabit Taylor's Hole.

Chairman of the council's development control committee Cllr David Molyneux said: "This Inspector's decision seems to us to be in flagrant contravention of all national planning policy on the subject of housing, and in our view involves a thought process which defies all logic.

"It is very important that such a one-off decision as this is not allowed to go unchallenged."

In the first part of her judgement, Ms Ball agreed with the Council that housing was not needed on that site and that to build there would be against the latest Government advice to Planning Authorities.

However, in a move that "disappointed and surprised" the council she then went on to give the proposed houses the go ahead, concluding new houses would benefit nature conservation.

Chris Maile, chairman of Campaign for Planning Sanity said the legal challenge was good news.

"We were thinking of mounting a legal challenge ourselves so its good news the council are taking action.

"However I do think it is a bit hypocritical and that the council have double standards. The council are in favour of the Xanadu site which runs adjacent to the land in question. How can they be in favour of Xanadu but then oppose these plans? So I do have mixed feelings in that respect.

"But overall it is good news. We were concerned that existing houses could have been flooded by the new buildings.

"I might give the council solicitor a ring to see if there is anything we can do to help. If we can help - we will."