Plan for 300 new homes unveiled for Westhoughton site

Further phases of a controversial housing development in Westhoughton have been officially submitted to the council.

A total of 312 homes could be built by Bellway Homes Limited if two separate plans are approved by the council.

Leaflets had been sent round to local residents in recent months regarding phase three of the Bowlands Hey development in Westhoughton in order to gather feedback from them, with phases three, four, and five now submitted to the council.

The first phase, for 129 homes, was approved in 2017 after the government overruled the council’s decision to block the plans.

The second phase, for a further167 houses, was also approved by the Planning Inspectorate.

A design and access statement submitted with the new application states: “Bellway have experience of delivering good quality housing, including in Bolton as demonstrated on on the previous phases.

“The scheme provides a suitable and sustainable residential development that exhibits best practice and respects its context and surroundings with a diverse range of housing typologies proposed.

“The development will provide 123/189 new homes which will provide a range of house types to create a balanced and mixed community delivering quality and choice of homes.

“The development will create a high quality sustainable residential neighbourhood which maintains and enhances the key existing landscape features, integrating the site into the wider area.

“The development will maintain a well-informed, safe and attractive neighbourhood, which promotes the wellbeing of its residents and visitors.

“The properties will be accessible for all and the site is accessible by a range of means of transport giving residents and visitors a real choice about how they travel.

“The development will achieve a sensitive and robust solution to the relationship between existing and proposed dwellings and create a sense of place which includes house types that reference the local architectural language and blends seamlessly with the existing residential grain.”

However, these developments have caused a lot of controversy over the years, with local residents and politicians repeatedly speaking out against issues with the site.

Chris Green, MP for Bolton West, said when these phases were revealed for the site: “The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework should have prevented this sort of development and given certainty to local residents."

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