GOVERNMENT officials in Manchester have put a holding order on the Xanadu snow dome planning application.
The move now gives Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott more time to consider whether the scheme should go ahead without a public inquiry.
"This is exactly what we expected to happen," said planning chief John Sloane, confirming the Article 14 directive. "No-one should read anything into this - one way or the other."
Green campaigners want Mr Prescott to call-in the plan for a public inquiry.
A NW Office spokesman said the administrative move now gave more time - "weeks rather than months" - to make a decision.
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