THE country's second-in-command dropped into Northwich on Monday to add his support to plans to redevelop the town.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott visited Northwich Memorial Hall to see how local youngsters envisaged the future of the town and to voice the Government's support for the £32m Northwich mines stabilisation project aiming to kick start the redevelopment of the town through the £200m Northwich Vision.

Mr Prescott then visited Penny's Lane mine, which together with Baron's Quay, Witton Bank and Neumann's mines, are to be filled with thousands of tonnes of grout, and was given a demonstration of the drilling operation and mine filling procedure.

He said: 'This project is something we have put quite a bit of money into and I have been here to look at how it is all going. Northwich is clearly thriving. Everybody is pleased that the mine stabilisation programme is going well. The town has a great future and we want to do our utmost to see it continuing.'

He said the overall project of redeveloping the town under the exciting Northwich Vision proposals would be a great boost for the town.

Northwich MP Mike Hall accompanied Mr Prescott on his tour of the town. He said: 'I am absolutely delighted to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister to Northwich. It is especially fitting that he should come to Northwich at this time, as without the work he did when he was Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, this project would never have got off the ground.

'This fully Government-funded scheme means that the Northwich Vision can now start to become a reality, and I want to thank him on behalf of all the people of Northwich for this huge opportunity.'

Northwich has been unable to attract development properly since the 1980s due to planning restrictions imposed because of the threat of mines subsidence. The process used to fill the mines and kick-start the redevelopment of the town has been considered a world-first, and it is hoped work on the project will be completed by March 2007.

During the work, some 176 million gallons of brine, equal to 320 Olympic-sized swimming pools, will have to be removed from the caverns at exactly the same rate as a cement-based grout mix is pumped in.

Cllr Keith Musgrave, the leader of Vale Royal Borough Council, said: 'The four mines lie under the town centre and surrounding area, covering 60 acres, the equivalent to 21 football pitches. Filling them will enable work to begin on the town's Northwich Vision regeneration plan.'

Council chief executive Anne Bingham-Holmes added: 'We are absolutely delighted that the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has shown an interest in the project.'