FOUR councillors from Bolton ruling Labour group last night dramatically declared that they don't want the Red Moss supertip.

The "rebel" four are Blackrod councillors, Eric Johnson, Kevan Helsby and John Monaghan and Horwich Cllr Mrs Betty McCracken.

They voted with Liberal Democrats and called for a re-think over the wording of a planning blueprint for the site.

A planning application from UK Waste is to go before Bolton councillors in the next few weeks.

Details have not yet been presented to the public, but councillors have had their own showing.

And two of the councillors admitted that it had made them change their minds.

Cllr Johnson declared he would be voting against the application for the supertip when it comes before councillors.

"It is not tipping itself that I am against, it is the scale of it," he said.

"This new application is for a much bigger area than the previous scheme."

Cllr Monaghan, a former vice chairman of the Greater Manchester Waste Regulation Authority, added: "I cannot support it as it was presented, there will be more tipping than I envisaged."

Cllr Helsby, who is also leader of Horwich Town Council, said: "It is obvious that the people of Horwich have had enough of tipping. I shall not support it when it comes to our town council.

"I supported the Bolton Wanderers scheme because it would bring jobs to the area. But I don't think it is right to have an enormous tip next to such an important development."

Cllr Mrs McCracken said: "I haven't supported the tip from the beginning and many people in my ward are against it."

In May, the Department of the Environment instructed the council to change the wording to ensure protection of a large part of the moss.

Now planning chiefs have come up with words which the Department of the Environment has indicated that it will agree to.

Cllr Mrs Ronson said: "This is a last ditch attempt to take the word tip away from Red Moss."

The move was rejected by the council with Tory councillors voting with the majority of Labour councillors.

Bolton Council is set to earn £2 million a year over ten years for the charge it will make for use of the site.

The authority is facing cuts of up to £9 million next year and Bolton Labour leader Cllr Bob Howarth said the council could "desperately need" this money.

"We have to do what we think is best for all the citizens of this borough.

"I am disappointed that these councillors could not support us. But we do have 100pc support from the vast majority of councillors."

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