I LAST wrote to you at the beginning of September, stating reasons why Xanadu should not be built at Marshall Street.

The continuing stream of letters to The Journal confirms beyond doubt that the issue is not just the Pennington NIMBYs' hobbyhorse, it will affect everyone within at least five miles of the site.

Most practical people have come to realise that if Xanadu is built it will be comparable to living next to Warrington Gemini retail area on one side and having Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the other.

Recent correspondents have outlined the effects within a minimum five mile radius - permanent gridlock, no personal parking, thieves, litter, and a vast amount of vehicle pollution.

What will be the quality of life within that radius for the people of Leigh and their children? Are those same people going to be conned by the promise of jam tomorrow and "possibly" a railway link in the future?

If Xanadu is ever built, how long is it going to be before they have to build a massive dual carriageway along the by-pass to accommodate the huge interest in traffic. Then as night follows day, all the retail stores will wish to line both sides of the dual carriageway.

But look around us at the already massive areas of concrete developments at Warrington, Horwich, Dumplington etc. There will not be enough customers or money to go round.

If all those shops supporting Xanadu think that the thousands of visitors to the by-pass developments are going to fight their way in to Leigh to pay to park, while the visitors also have the option of visiting the same type of shops on the by-pass and park free, then they are in for a rude awakening. Maggie's 'trickle down' theory didn't work with wages and it will have no better success with the economy of Leigh.

As these huge, concrete satellites increase, Leigh's biggest assets are going to be its renowned Country Park, Lilford Park and its other green areas.

If we link this with sensible planning, road management, town centre activities (ie. cinemas and bowling alleys), and lots of free town centre parking, Leigh could take the lead in reversing the disastrous 'out of town shopping centres' concept that is ruining many of our towns.

Many of us have lived in Leigh and the surrounding areas for many years with the acres of rucks, tips and desolation. It has given us enormous hope and pleasure to see the spreading greenbelts of Pennington Country Park, Hope Carr, Lilford Perk etc. emerge. Don't let's throw it all away for the fast buck.

I have supported the Labour Party at a national level but the current Wigan MBC Labour group have lost all their local roots in Leigh, Atherton, Golborne, and even to the people of Wigan.

There is only one answer and that is to support the creation of a Leigh Parish Council, as a first step to preserving our identity, ultimately a thriving town and not just a by-pass commuter belt.

Mr G.Blackburn

Hayman Avenue

Leigh

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