Cheers rang out in the council chamber after plans to build 80 homes in Harwood were thrown out.
A dozen local residents attended the meeting as planning bosses discussed the application by Rowland Homes for land off Arthur Lane.
Concerns about local biodiversity, traffic issues, and ‘green belt’ vs ‘grey belt’ land were central to the refusal, with the council deciding that the benefits of 80 extra houses did not outweigh the potential negatives.
The homes were proposed off Arthur Lane in Harwood (Image: Google Maps)
Resident Phil Dearnaley, who fought the plans, said: “It’s a real result, and the right thing to do.
“It protects the green belt for future generations.
“It’s a victory for residents, a victory for nature, a victory for wildlife.”
The proposal was to develop 80 new homes on the land.
The site covers approximately 2.47 hectares of land across two agricultural fields, land which was green belt.
But developer Rowland Homes stated they believed the land constituted ‘grey belt’ land – green belt land that can be built on under certain circumstances.
Friends of Longsight Park, who resisted the plans (Image: UGC)
Cllr David Grant said: “The area is clearly in the green belt.
“The development will erode people’s views.”
The Arthur Lane plans would have reduced the size of the green belt between Bolton and Bury from 360m to 235m.
Council planning officers agreed with that assessment, recommending approval of the scheme and saying that they believed ‘the development would not fundamentally undermine the purposes of the remaining green belt across the borough’.
The council’s planning committee heard 218 objections had been received.
A ward councillor argued that if approved the development would lead to an ‘urban land bridge’ between the edges of the borough of Bolton and Bury, cutting the undeveloped gap between the towns in that area by more than a third.
Speaking against the plans, ward council Les Webb, said: “This land is deemed by the residents of Harwood as being green belt.
“The ‘grey belt’ argument is this case clearly can’t stand up. “In essence it would create and urban land bridge from the borough of Bolton to the edge of the borough of Bury.
“If that does not prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another I don’t know what does. “218 residents objected for a reason – they cannot be ignored.”
Jane Wilcock who is a member of Friends of Longsight Park said: “Bolton councillors planning committee unanimously voted to refuse a build on pastureland at Arthur Lane.
“They were magnificent in wanting sustainable homes without creating congestion and pollution, in promoting green belt as intended, separating Bury and Bolton.
“Due to this decision the barn owls and hedgehogs will be out tonight and have a future. Bolton is so unique in still supporting native wild life when it has vanished in so many places, it really is a visitor destination on the way up.”
Bolton Council have now refused the plans (Image: Rowland Homes)
There was also a significant concern about the potential impact the development would have on local traffic.
A Rowlands Homes representative said “A development should only be refused on highways grounds when the impact will be severe.
“That is when there is an existing safety issue that would be exacerbated by the development, or where the development would increase queue lengths considerably.
“There will be a small number of additional vehicles travelling through these junctions, so the development will have a minimal impact overall.”
But planning meeting chair John Walsh, who uses Arthur Lane ‘fairly regularly’, said: “I have concerns over the degree of traffic on the fairly narrow road.”
Cllr Walsh noted that an appeal is ‘likely’ now plans have been refused.
Cllr Grant added: “I support refusal, and I think we’ve got a very strong case if it does go to appeal.”