SPORTS Village plans for Leigh can't be compared with previous Xanadu proposals on the same site.

At a meeting in Leigh Cricket Club on Monday, Campaign for Planning Sanity chairman Chris Maile was persuaded to stop referring to the Sports Village project as 'Xanadu 2'.

Mr Maile chaired the meeting which attracted 38 people including those involved with the exciting development for Marshall Street college site meeting -- a dozen or so objectors from the Pennington area who were concerned about traffic, access, noise such a development would bring and the effect on property prices.

Concept promoter and Leigh Sports Partnership chairman Trevor Barton with Leigh Independent Supporters' Association chairman Neil Wilcock highlighted the sporting and educational plus points for the community.

Afterwards Mr Barton said: "It was a very useful meeting.

"We have agreed to meet again once the full application is in and there is no room for misinformation.

"If there are things that can be done better, there is still time to do so.

Vast majority

"Out of 38 people at the meeting six people were implacably opposed, but the vast majority of people are for it.

"Obviously there are some people who just simply do not want the development. We respect their views. Some think it is in the wrong place, but there are very limited places where such a development could take place."

MP Andy Burnham, who has been behind the project since its inception, said: "I think to call the Leigh Sports Village 'Xanadu 2' fundamentally misrepresents what it is all about. Xanadu was a project of national importance that was principally about jobs and economic benefits.

"The Leigh Sports Village is a project for the people of Leigh, delivering quality sports and education facilities. There is no comparison between the two.

"It has never been our intention to impress anything on anybody and the Council to their credit has adopted a very bottom-up approach.

"The idea came from Leigh Sports Partnership and there have been extensive consultations to pick up the concerns some people wish to raise.

"If people have specific concerns I will want them properly listened to. But if people are to oppose the scheme in its entirety then I'm not interested.

"We want to respond to the legitimate concerns of local residents."

A further public meeting will be held at Hilton Park in June.