A CONTROVERSIAL five-bedroomed house in Lostock — originally built without permission — is now the subject of its THIRTEENTH planning application in four years.

Councillors will debate plans for the former bungalow in Regent Road today after developers submitted proposals to use the attic as a bedroom.

In July last year, officers ordered the developer, who lives in Chorley Old Road, to demolish the property as it caused “unacceptable harm to the character and appearance” of the area.

But in October the planning committee gave “retrospective approval” to an amended plan.

Developers have since been forced to demolish side walls and cut the length of the house by three metres, as well as relaying the foundations.

Neil Atkinson, who lives next door to the site, said: “This has gone on for so long now.

“The process is flawed. It seems if you keep trying, you can get virtually whatever you want.

He added that two trees had been damaged required another application “We have not been given sufficient information to judge this application.”

The latest application seeks to use attic space as a fifth bedroom, while the internal layout has been altered, to remove corridor space running across the length of the house.

The first application for the plot was to build an extra storey on the existing bungalow.


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A fresh application for a completely new house was made shortly after that was given approval.

Residents have voiced concerns about the cost to the taxpayer incurred by the 13 planning applications, while Cllr Bob Allen, for Heaton and Lostock, has accused the developer of trying to overturn the council’s demolition order “by stealth”.

Mr Atkinson added: “Bolton Council has now even stopped publishing planning objections.

“That is pretty bad as we can’t see what the rest of the residents think any more. We are at a bit of a loss now.”

Bolton Council’s planning committee will meet in the council chamber at the town hall at 2pm today.

The developer, retired doctor Dr Mohammed Sidda, was unavailable for comment.