FURIOUS neighbours say they have been forced to “drive Bolton Council through its own planning process”, after a hotly-disputed 11th application for a new two-storey house was narrowly approved.

The new property in Regent Road, Lostock — formerly a bungalow — was given retrospective permission by the council’s planning committee, after developers carried on building without permission.

Bolton Council has previously issued the developer, who lives in Chorley Old Road, with an enforcement order after the building deviated from the initial plans.

Developers have been forced to demolish one side wall as it was less than a metre from another side wall, as well as cut the length of the house by three metres.

Cllr Bob Allen, for Heaton and Lostock, who voted for refusal at the latest application, accused developers of trying to overturn the council’s enforcement order “by stealth”.

The council’s approval was given despite a wave of opposition from neighbours.

As well as disregarding building constraints, neighbours also accused the developer of ignoring a number of pre-commencement conditions and not carrying out adequate checks.

Cllr Allen said: “It is fundamentally wrong that when the council tells someone to demolish a building and the planning officer supports that at a high profile public hearing, that this ruling is not adhered to.

“It seemed to me that the applicant, almost by stealth, was trying to overturn this decision.”

Neil Atkinson, who lives next door to the site, said the developers had made a mockery of the planning process.

“The way the council has allowed them to manipulate the planning process is unbelievable,” he added.

“If local people had not pointed out that they were building something way beyond what was approved, I’ve no doubt that they would never have known.”

Margaret Collier, chairman of Lostock Residents’ Group, said she feared the cost incurred to taxpayers from the 11 applications.

She added: “The main reason we have been so upset by this is that we feel we have had to drive Bolton Council through their own process.”

The first application for the plot was to build an extra storey on to the existing bungalow, with a fresh application for a completely new house made shortly after that was given approval.

Cllr Nick Peel, executive member, spoke in favour of approving the latest plans.

He added: “He has, at considerable expense, rectified problems with the initial build and, given we approved the original application, I saw no reason to object to this one.”