HOLIDAY village company Centre Parcs has denied suggestions it wants to expand in Leigh.

Leigh Green Party leader Chris Maile's claims the company was in "secret" talks with Labour members of Wigan Council regarding a Xanadu spin-off holiday village and theme park at Pennington Country Park.

But both Council Leader Peter Smith and Centre Parcs have dismissed his allegations.

Mr Maile said discussions had taken place between councillors and Centre Parcs for the provision of a holiday village if the Xanadu project went ahead.

Cllr Smith told The Journal:"Once again Mr Maile is, it seems, deliberately distorting the truth.

"Centre Parcs are not coming to Pennington Flash. No developer whatever is coming to Pennington Flash. I said this very clearly at the public meeting and it was repeated by the Borough Planning Officer.

"Pennington Flash is a highly valued local amenity, lovingly developed by the Council, which brings thousands of visitors to the borough from far and wide. The idea that the Council would do anything to alter this is nothing short of ludicrous.

"Why Mr Maile should distort the facts to such an extent is another question? Maybe his deliberate scaremongering has something to do with the recent elections where he failed completely to convince the public of his credibility."

And a spokesman for Nottingham-based Centre Parks said:"We don't have a clue why Centre Parcs name has come up.

"Centre Parcs don't have any such plan. The Green Party should check their information, it is completely inaccurate.

"We have three villages in the UK and we don't have any plan for Pennington."

In September 1996, when the Xanadu project was first revealed in The Journal, our report told of hopes for a holiday village development alongside the canal corridor.

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