MORE than £500,000 from the European Regional Development Fund is to be awarded to the Leigh Commerce Park scheme.

The European Community money will add to the £5.5m commitment from Orford Investments who are the development arm of the local construction company Wilfred Lloyd and Associates Ltd.

Wilfred Lloyd are a family run business and have traded in Leigh for over 30 years. They are already responsible for creating over 175 jobs through the Commerce Park and the European cash injection will provide a boost to Orford's plan to continue expansion at the site.

The pride of the £2.5m development, currently under construction, will be East Lancashire House; a state-of-the-art, air conditioned office facility, and a 12,000 square foot office and warehouse development. The planned expansion will include a second office development to mirror East Lancashire House and a further 4000 square foot industrial building, bringing total investment to £5.5m.

Leigh MP Andy Burnham is delighted with the news, saying: "After years of bad news, it's great to see these new jobs coming to Leigh, and I'm pleased to see a local firm driving it forward."

He has visited the Leigh site with his Labour MEP colleagues Terry Wynn and Brian Simpson to see how things are progressing and congratulate Managing Director of WL, Trevor Lloyd.

Mr Simpson declared it a "first-class visit" and expressed his satisfaction at "European money helping to create more employment in the Leigh area."