Housing estate proposed at controversial ‘green’ site where plans have been thrown out twice before

A third bid has been made to build homes on green land following a series of planning rejections.

Plans submitted in the past week detail a housing estate of 20 homes on land off Grizedale Close, Johnson Fold, Bolton. The scaled back proposals follow two previous failed applications by Watson Homes to build on the land.

In November 2021, plans for a four-storey block of 35 apartments and eight houses was refused and an appeal on that decision was later lost.

The main issue Bolton planning committee gave was the impact on the character and appearance of the area as well as the loss of trees and hedgerows. In November, 2022 a similar application was refused with that application receiving more than 1,000 objections.

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At that time, council officers recommended approval of the scheme but the committee voted to throw it out. A design and access report published in support fo the plans gives details of a fresh scheme for the land by St Helens-based Wiggett Homes.

It said: “Following the initial site visit and walk of the site to review the existing residential surrounding, together with a review of the previous planning applications, it was decided that the proposals should include standard family two and three storey dwellings, and not incorporate any apartments.

“One of the main concerns regarding the previous applications was height and massing.

“Therefore the design of the dwellings was kept to a maximum of two storey adjacent to any existing dwellings to minimise or eradicate any overlooking issues, with a three-storey house type to the far end of the site central to the development.

“The detailed design of the dwellings is of a high quality, as befitting of the area.”

The proposed 20 houses would be four two-bed houses, 15 with three bedrooms and one four-bed and all would be sold on the open market.. The plans state 14 of the homes would be two-storeys and would be a mix of terraced, semi-detached and detached properties.

The plans also include demolishing an existing bungalow which stands on what would be the access point for the new homes. Wiggett Homes said that for community engagement they had sent out leaflets to just under 200 residents who live in close to the site explaining their plans.

The application will now be considered by planners at Bolton Council.