THE XANADU debate this week spilled over in to a heated swimming pool argument.

But after Monday's packed public meeting at Leigh Cricket Club Hope Carr ward Cllr Brian Jarvis accused the Green Party of scaremongering.

Chris Maile, the Green's candidate for Wigan Council's Hope Carr by-election on November 6, claimed Cllr Jarvis had admitted swimming pools at Howe Bridge, Tyldesley, Atherton and Hindley would close if Xanadu goes ahead.

After the meeting Mr Maile said:"Xanadu will create no real jobs, but simply swap them from one project to another.

"Cllr Jarvis admitted local facilities will close and jobs will be lost in the local leisure industry. What benefit will that be to communities in Howe Bridge, Hindley, Tyldesley and Atherton."

But a blazing Cllr Jarvis slammed the Green Party for misinterpreting one answer from a near two-hour stint answering points at Monday's public meeting in Leigh Cricket Club.

He said:"When the original aquatics centre for the Commonwealth Games and Olympics was mooted the Council said it would have to look at swimming provision within the borough and assess it.

"It would only be then that any decision would be taken on other swimming facilities."

Urging the benefits of the £150 snowdome project, Cllr Jarvis said: "All the heavy industry has gone from this town - the cotton mills and the pits. We have a clean town but a depressed one.

"If Xanadu comes, prosperity will return to Leigh. Money attracts money."

Re-assuring residents on possible pollution from the scheme, Cllr Jarvis added: "We as a Council are not going to condone anything which produces gas and has an adverse effect on the public."

A Council spokesman:"The swimming provision doesn't depend on Xanadu.

"If the aquatics centre came and Xanadu didn't existing facilities would still be looked at. We would have to look at what impact it would have on existing pools.

"The situation is the same as we publicly stated when we were bidding for the Olympics and Commonwealth Games."

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