THE controversial plan to move Dunscar War Memorial looked doomed today as the leader of Bolton Council vowed to fight it all the way.

Cllr Barbara Ronson said she would not give up the land on which the memorial has stood for 83 years despite a developer's plan to use the site in a luxury housing scheme.

Her comments all but kill off fears that the memorial could be moved.

But Cllr Ronson urged campaigners -- who have collected the names of 1,000 people opposed to the scheme -- to keep up their work, fearing an unlikely series of events could occur to allow the scheme through the back door.

The plan has caused fury among local families and war veterans who want to see the memorial remain in its home overlooking Blackburn Road.

Cllr Ronson said: "I want to assure the campaigners that, as owners of the land, the council will be opposing this scheme and without our agreement it is extremely unlikely that the memorial will be removed.

"But we want to ensure that there is absolutely no way this plan can succeed."

Cllr Ronson was speaking after town hall bosses discovered an historic indenture which means the council could never profit from the site of the memorial being sold.

In 1921, the former owner signed over the land at the corner of Blackburn Road and Darwen Road to the council for as long as it remained home to the memorial.

It would have to be handed back to the unnamed party if the monument is moved away.

Developer Stephen Fitton has applied to build 11 detached homes and an apartment block on green belt land he owns behind his Dunscar Fold home.

He has told planning bosses due to consider the application next month that the scheme would help to reclaim the fields from drug users and local tearaways.

In today's market, each house would be worth around £450,000.

Mr Fitton wants to move the memorial 50 yards to the south on to green land to allow for a major restructuring of the road at the northern end of the development.

If planning bosses were to back Mr Fitton's plans, the developers could persuade the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to force Bolton Council to move the memorial.

But David Crausby, MP for Bolton North-east, welcomed Cllr Ronson's stance.

He said: "It is almost unimaginable that the anyone in the Government would get involved -- but, if they do, they will have me to deal with."