A COUNCILLOR is pressing for a historic farmhouse, demolished by an developer without consent, to be rebuilt brick by brick.

Westchurch Homes pulled down the building on Lostock Hall Farm in Hall Lane, Lostock, in December just a week after Bolton Council refused its first planning application to construct 13 homes.

The company had not waited for approval from the authority before undertaking the demolition – which it said was necessary because the building was “structurally unsound” and was at “significant risk of collapse”.

It was later cautioned by the council.

Westchurch Homes has now submitted a second application for the same number of homes, although some of the proposed properties have been relocated to mitigate the impact on the neighbouring Grade II* Listed Lostock Hall Gatehouse.

However, Horwich and Blackrod councillor Simon Pickup said: “I am frankly appalled by the way the applicant has the nerve to demolish the old farm building and then submit another planning application.

“It is my belief that the applicant should be made to rebuild the original building which has been demolished unlawfully.”

A separate complaint has been made to police by neighbours about an alleged offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which protects bats and their roosts.

A bat survey conducted on Westchurch Homes’ behalf, and submitted to support its second application, says common pipistrelles and a barn owl have been seen at the site.

The experts said: “It is highly likely that these bats originated from roosts within the site.

“If works were to proceed without any mitigation, this would result in the loss of confirmed maternity roost of pipistrelle bats, two small roosts of common pipistrelle bats and a occasional roosting location utilised by brown long eared bats, as well as the injury and death of individual bats.”

It adds that demolition of the three buildings where bats were spotted would only be carried out under a European Protected Species mitigation licence issued by Natural England.

The report was produced in August before the farmhouse was razed and it is unclear if such a licence was obtained beforehand.

Westchurch Homes did not reply to request for a comment.