REVIVALISTS claim the latest superstore scheme is another kick in the teeth for their Leigh centre boomtown dream.

A 55,830 square foot Sainsbury supermarket, retail units totalling 67,500 sq ft, plus a family restaurant, pub and a fast food diner alongside the town centre by-pass was due to be given the go-ahead on Tuesday.

City Link Properties and Brookhouse Group Ltd intend developing a five hectare site on the Council's Cleworth Street depot and part of the old Parsonage Colliery site.

But town centre hardware dealer and Leigh Business Partnership chairman Gordon Jackson warned it could spell another nail in the town centre coffin.

He told The Journal:"I've already made my feelings known against these out-of-town shop plans. They haven't changed.

"Councillors and planners tell me they are interested in the town centre, but encouraging this kind of thing makes you wonder."

Planners consider a Sainsbury store on the site would divert over £7m of convenience trade away from the town centre.

But they say if one of the town's main foodstores closed as a result there would still be discount grocery outlets and not necessarily harm to the vitality and viability of town centre trade.

They feel the new store and retail development would have a 31% impact on near neighbours Asda, but divert only three per cent of town centre trade.

A planning committee report said it may dissuade future Leigh town centre but said there was continued interest in a mixed use Queen Street redevelopment proposal by private developers.

On balance, planners felt there was no reason not to recommend the plans be approved.

Council Leader Cllr Peter Smith has welcomed the proposals which he said would mean more jobs and prosperity for the community.

Developers' boss Paul Wilkins said City Link Properties hoped for an early 1997 start.

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