A CLASSIC case of local people knowing what's best for their own area is demonstrated currently at the public inquiry into a land-swap deal at Horwich.

Fort James and Tesco want to trade places at Mansell Way to allow both to expand. In the case of the latter, this could lead to Horwich becoming the firm's British headquarters. But if it fails, 600 jobs are at risk there.

For its part, Tesco would have a bigger store on a prime site, and everyone would be happy. Wrong.

Although both applications have the backing of Bolton Council, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's Government Department has called them in because they were classed as out of town shopping schemes which could affect town centres like Bolton.

Middlebrook developers Orbit also come into the frame here as objectors.

Plainly, this could be classed as a case of sour grapes by Orbit, and a surfeit of red tape by Whitehall civil servants. It's hard to imagine how a long-standing store on the edge of a development the size of Middlebrook could cripple Bolton town centre trading merely by moving over the road.

And the public inquiry looks almost mischievous when you consider the impact on existing local jobs at Fort James, and the potential new ones at Tesco.

No, Minister. Let the outcome of the public inquiry reflect what is best for the Horwich area and best for Bolton - and give your approval.

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