LABOUR councillors have been split by a decision to sell-off Wigan's prestigious Galleries shopping centre in a £6.1m bid to balance the books.

And despite advice against selling from some leading councillors, the Council's monopolising Labour Group has voted to sell to offset a £5.5 million deficit.

The council leases its jewel-in-the-crown shopping complex to CIN Properties Ltd - part of the coal industry's pension investment scheme - and collects an annual lease payment of £400,000.

But Labour councillors on Monday night voted to sell the lease to CIN Properties Ltd at the valuation figure of £6.1m.

A heated debate ended in a 28-24 decision to sell.

Dissenters criticised the decision to sell an asset which brings in a sizeable annual income of nearly £m.

One objector confided after the meeting: "You don't sell something that is making a profit like that.

"This was done because of a £5m shortfall. Those in favour voted to sell because it should balance the books until the middle of 1998.

"But we could have a change of government and the authority could find itself in a much better financial situation. Many felt we are losing a good source of income.

"It is a different kettle of fish selling land which is costing us money to maintain, but the Galleries Centre is making us a lot of easy money."

Neither Council Leader Cllr Peter Smith nor finance chief Cllr Brian Strett were available for comment.

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