I READ with interest your story that the three Labour Westhoughton councillors are asking the local MP to lobby the government over the large scale developments which are now likely to take place in Westhoughton.
Councillor Chadwick has stated that we should be working together locally to prevent these future developments. From his comments it doesn’t look like that is the case anymore.
Unfortunately for him as a result of the Labour controlled Bolton council not getting its house in order on a housing strategy, Bolton Council lost the appeal at Blackrod which in turn has lead to the onslaught of planning applications on the protected open space in Westhoughton.
It was agreed by both Bolton’s Labour and Conservative councillors in an informal meeting that they should not fight future planning applications on the basis of the land being designated in the local plan as protected open space. Cllr Cliff Morris keeps stating that Bolton has sufficient housing capacity but says one thing and does the complete opposite as evidenced by the actions of the council not opposing the Blackrod planning application and now not fighting the current planning appeal from Persimmon Homes for 300 houses in Westhoughton on that basis.
Secondly housing strategy has been delegated to the GMCA currently controlled by the 10 leaders of the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester including Cllr Morris.
The Liberal Democrats in Westhoughton pointed out that there was to be a meeting after the last local elections and that the GMCA was asking developers to put forward proposals for future developments in Westhoughton and other areas in Bolton. We were accused us of being liars. We were correct. And now the Labour controlled GMCA is proposing not only to build on the protected open land but also to build on the green belt land surrounding Westhoughton including a large scale housing development in Hulton Park and a huge industrial estate to the west of the current Wingates industrial estate stretching to Dicconson Lane and Borsdane Wood.
Unfortunately these actions are an attempt to create an illusion of action being taken and to close the stable door of numerous planning applications when the horse well and truly bolted months ago.
Councillor D Gradwell
Westhoughton Town Council
Liberal Democrat
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