THE LEADER of Wyre Borough Council has welcomed plans for a huge redevelopment at Cleveleys for which a planning application has just been submitted.

Councillor Alan Vincent described controversial plans for a leisure 'village' -- including fast food outlets, a cinema and a Travelodge -- as "a very important economic development for Cleveleys".

"It occupies a high-profile site and we need to look carefully at the visual impact of the proposals," he said.

The plans are for an area including part of Jubilee Gardens, open land and an existing car park.

Included are a 60-bed Travelodge, a four-screen cinema, a ten-pin bowling alley, McDonalds and KFC outlets and another restaurant together with car parking.

A council spokesman said Manchester-based Property Alliance Group have been chosen by the council to put the plans forward "because they were able to provide many of the facilities which local people said they wanted to see on the site".

More than 600 people had taken part in a public consultation exercise about the future of the land, he said.

Property Alliance Group's past work includes the Odeon multiplex and 'festival village' off Rigby Road, Blackpool.

The Wyre spokesman said the council was already planning to use some of the cash from the sale of the land for the village 'to give the actual seafront at Cleveleys a makeover'.

Nick Pentith, a director of Alliance Property Group, described his company's plans as 'an exciting project'.

"I think the site does need something to happen there. Our project is designed to appeal to both local people and tourists."

The plans are expected to go before the council's planning committee later this year.