A GIANT DIY and garden centre plus a drive thru' restaurant are on the menu for Hindsford.

And by Spring 2000 big-name operators are likely to be offering burgers and fries, trees, tiles and tools on the Rectella factory site on the Tyldesley border.

The curtain makers recently drew the blinds on their Hindsford operation and now the 3 acre site is up for sale. And developers reckon 120 full and part-time jobs would be created compensating for the 100 or so lost when Rectella shut its Richmond House operation.

The factory - which for years was part of the Ward and Goldstone electrical empire - would be demolished to make way for the ambitious scheme.

Plans are for a 2,416 square metre DIY store, a 743 square metre open garden centre and a 240 square metre fast food restaurant.

In a report to planners Council officers said: "It is not considered the proposal will have a significant impact on future investment in either Tyldesley or Atherton town centres.

"Its location on an edge of centre site may serve to enhance the attractiveness of Tyldesley for further investment and consequently assist in maintaining and fostering the vitality and viability of the town centre."

But not everyone is happy about the plans.

A Tyldesley Road couple have written to planners objecting. They fear more sleepless nights and traffic problems.

They said: "We already have a social club next door and problems with noise until the early hours. Our car and property have been vandalised several times.

"There are approximately 14 fast food takeaways in Tyldesley and Atherton and another will only add to the rubbish being dumped in our gardens."

Wigan planning committee have deferred a decision on the application pending a legal agreement being made regarding the position of the DIY store and the range of goods to be offered.

David Walker, boss of Cheshire-based development company Bushwing Plc, said: "The old buildings would be knocked down and we would start afresh.

"If we get the go-ahead we would be looking at a late summer start to be open in Spring of next year."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.