THERE is good news today that the 3,000 new jobs at the Middlebrook leisure and retail village development in Horwich are intended for local people.

Bolton Council is not assuming that there will be enough suitably qualified applicants for the positions. Council representatives have been taking to the Bolton Bury training and Enterprise Council about setting up training courses to ensure there are.

This is an intelligent and positive approach to the situation. We have always advocated that the best people for jobs should be used irrespective of sex, colour or age.

If such people can be found and trained locally that's all to the good.

The development is expected to have multi-million pound spin-offs for local companies while it is being built. It is right that local people should work there once it is up and running.

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