WHITEFIELD residents turned out in force to put forward their demands for any future "vision" of the town centre.

Top of their list as part of any redevelopment of the Elms Precinct are local, affordable shops, free car parking and community and religious facilities.

Around 240 people crammed into Whitefield Methodist Church hall on Tuesday evening for a meeting organised by the Elms Action Group.

Some had turned up to catch a glimpse of the multi-millionaire owner of the Elms Precinct, Mr Albert Gubay, who heads property developers North Western Properties. They were to be disappointed.

Mr Gubay, or at least one of his representatives, had been invited to the public meeting, chaired by council leader Derek Boden, but the offer was turned down at the last minute.

The meeting, which was also attended by MP Ivan Lewis, was called by the Action Group in response to an application by Mr Gubay to redevelop the shopping precinct and the surrounding area. The findings were also reported of an extensive public consultation exercise to find out what the people of Whitefield actually want.

In a ballot of 141 local residents, a resounding 61 per cent of voters were against Mr Gubay's proposals. Only six per cent were for the plans.

Thirty three per cent admitted to being broadly in favour of the plans, but the Action Group reported overwhelming concerns about the loss of nine homes and the relocation of the church, synagogue and Conservative Club on Elms Street. Treasurer of the group Cheryl Philips said: "We very much welcome the redevelopment of Whitefield but want people to be consulted. People who live here need local shops that address basic needs."

She added that although people should be realistic and not expect a big supermarket to invest in the town, people should expect some form of affordable shopping facilities.

Director of environment and transport for Bury Council, Ian Cheetham, confirmed that there was "no evidence of local shops at all" in Mr Gubay's plan. He also expressed the need for a traffic impact study on Manchester Road.

Other demands of the property developer included a community focal point, facilities for young people and the suggestion that some council services could be placed in the town.

The Elms Action Group now intend to present the report to North Western Properties.