Residents out in force to fight coaching house plan

9:39am Monday 6th August 2012 in News

D-DAY is looming for controversial plans to build 29 homes on the site of Smithills
Coaching house .

It has been revealed a special planning committee meeting of Bolton Council will be held on Thursday, August 23, following a site visit that
morning.

And a straw poll among more than 80 residents who attended a two-hour public meeting at Smithills Sports Centre on Friday night indicated that a large majority were opposed to the plans.

The meeting was organised by the three Smithills ward councillors and chaired by leader of the Liberal Democrat group Cllr Roger Hayes.

He said: “I felt it was a fairly constructive meeting. I think it showed that people do have very strong feelings over this.”

Jones Homes hasapplied for listed building and planning approval to convert Smithills Coaching House into eight homes, which involves partial demolition. The company also wants to build a further
21 houses on greenbelt land surrounding the building, which is currently covered in asphalt.

The Coaching House, a grade II listed building, is to cease operations on August 27, after being run as a restaurant for 46 years. Its 30 staff are being made redundant .

Those behind the development stress the proposals will prevent the building from rotting or falling into disrepair and will preserve its future. The homes planned for the site are a mixture of two,
three and four-bedroom properties. Jones Homes has defended the decision to build on greenbelt, saying it was returning about 50 per cent of the land to greenery.

Addressing the audience at Friday evening’s meeting, Cllr Hayes told them: “The main issue is to find out what you think. I know a good number of people are very worried about this.”

The meeting covered various aspects surrounding the proposals, including land ownership history, relevant planning law and procedure, together with potential reasons for approval and refusal.

Cllr Hayes said the whole of the Smithills Estate was bought by Bolton Council in1926 for £70,000 and that in 1980, Smithills Restaurant Ltd leased the
premises from the council on the basis of a 99-year lease. In 1985, it was agreed the company could purchase the freehold of the Coaching House.

He added: “It appears there was a covenant limiting the use of the original car park to parking — that covenant would have to be lifted if the application was to be approved.”

Cllr Hayes said that, later in 1985, the council agreed to sell two more pieces of land to the restaurant and it appears there was a covenant or agreement, again limiting land use to car parking.

Disclosing that a special planning committee meeting would consider the proposals on August 23, Cllr Hayes said a site visit would take place before the deliberations. “That site visit is an
opportunity for the applicants and objectors to speak to the committee informally.”

On the merits of the proposals, he continued: “As the application site is in greenbelt, it is by definition inappropriate and the presumption would be refusal unless there are felt to be
exceptional circumstances. If the council wishes to approve the application, it can. But it would have to be referred to the Secretary of State for decision as it would be a departure from Bolton’s
own local plan.”

Many of those attending the meeting made clear their views.

One woman said: “A lot of people moved here because it was greenbelt.”

Another claimed: “The developers don’t seem to acknowledge the impact to the historical aspect of this site.”

Comments(4)

oftbewildered

says…

9:56am Mon 6 Aug 12

It will be passed – nothing more certain. Consultations with the residents are just paying lip service to the procedure. The Council never takes notice of what we have to say (apart from a partial victory for us over the Charity Canopy – but there again no money was involved in that one, was there?)
oftbewildered

Isobelle

says…

10:44am Mon 6 Aug 12

Yes its a shame, but to be honest what do people expect? People didnt visit so it had to close down and now SOMETHING has to be done with the land. There is a housing shortage so it sadly makes sense to build houses on the site. Don’t get me wrong, I think its a total tragedy to lose such a treasure and the land itself is valuable greenbelt land but it would make little sense to just throw money into preserving preserving preserving when nobody is actually interested in it – until its being taken away. Very sad
Isobelle

I, Ludicrous

says…

11:02am Mon 6 Aug 12

Cllr Hayes is on it. Nowt wishy-washy about that Liberal. I don’t think that the planners are in for quite the push-over that many on here suspect.
I, Ludicrous

MsMooseGirl

says…

11:24am Mon 6 Aug 12

I suspect it’s already passed, and just going through the motions!
MsMooseGirl

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