A TOP hotel chain has joined the growing band of commercial and leisure companies wanting outlets at the Leigh Sports Village.

The project team learned last week that one of the country's major hotel chains has given a commitment to build a 100-room hotel on the site at Pennington.

Final plans for the multi-million pound project were due to be drawn up last week but the level of interest from commercial and leisure companies has forced a slight delay.

But the project is still on course and initial groundwork is expected to begin next February or March with the new sixth form college open for the start of the academic year in September, 2006.

The new stadium for Leigh Centurions and Leigh RMI is scheduled for opening in early 2007.

Leigh Sports Partnership chairman Trevor Barton said: "It looks like the cinema is also back on the agenda. The swimming pool is taking shape and it will be excellent for our families and clubs -- especially with the free under 16s swimming strategy.

"It is now likely that the swimming pool will have a sports hall right alongside it, and it is just a cock-stride from the college.

"There is now the genuine belief that we can start off the project debt free. It also appears likely that the project will generate enough revenue to make it really sustainable and, additionally, contribute in real terms to our sports clubs' shareholders."

"Due credit must again be paid to the council and Greenbank for their commitment, nerve and sheer bottle during some uncertain times.

"There are few areas in the country that have the available land and infrastructure to support a scheme like this, so this opportunity that our town has seized will ultimately make it the best in the North-west, if not elsewhere.

"To have dry and wet sports, professional and amateur clubs, a specialist sports college a stone's throw away and a new college with sport and health as its top agenda, and possibly a new junior school, all sharing a myriad of sporting facilities is literally a dream come true."