RESIDENTS will get to have their say on proposals to build around 7,000 new homes in Bolton in the coming weeks.

Leaders of all 10 borough councils in Greater Manchester held talks last week regarding the major housing consultation document known as the Spatial Framework — which seeks to address the housing shortfall in the region.

As reported in The Bolton News, a recent ‘call for sites’ exercise led to developers and landowners identifying around 70 major building projects which could take place across Bolton.

This could mean around 7,000 homes being built in Bolton before 2035 — including a 1,700 home estate in Westhoughton.

The plan is then to use an agreed set of proposed areas for housebuilding across the whole region to form a draft consultation document on which residents can have their say.

It had been hoped that the consultation could start next week, but it is understood council leaders wanted to confirm final details at the next GMCA board meeting on October 28 before the consultation gets under way.

GMCA lead officer for planning and housing Eamonn Boylan said: “It has always been our intention to start a public consultation on a draft framework in October.

"The planning teams working on the draft framework now have a couple of weeks to ensure that the technical elements of the draft framework are correct when presented to the board meeting where we are seeking approval for public consultation to commence for a period of eight weeks."

GMCA have been keen to reassure people who are concerned about the proposals —many of which are in the green belt— that any project that gets the go ahead will be carefully thought-out, and consider how projects would impact on road networks, schools and GP practices.

A GMCA spokesman said: "The plan is designed to stop 'uncontrollable development'.

"Over the next 20 years, there is a need to sustainably deliver continued economic growth, creating more jobs and new homes for the people of Greater Manchester.

"For the first time, the 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester are working together to look at the best way to deliver this: to ensure that these homes and jobs are provided in the right places with the transport infrastructure, such as roads, rail and Metrolink, to support the communities.”

Bolton Council leader Cliff Morris has again stressed his ‘concern’ at the potential impact of the proposals on the town’s green belt and greenfield land.

He said: “I am worried about this, especially in Westhoughton.

“The difficulty we have is we don’t own a lot of this land and the government have allowed developers to submit them.

“We believe we have sufficient brownfield sites to build on in Bolton and we have made that clear.”