CONTROVERSIAL plans to build houses on land surrounding a luxury hotel have been granted permission — after the chairman of Bolton Council's planning committee used his casting vote.

More than 660 letters of objection had been received by the authority ahead of yesterday's ruling on the scheme for the Last Drop Village Hotel and Spa in Hospital Road in Bromley Cross.

But the developer Jones Homes (North West), part of the Emerson Group, got the green light from the committee for 98 residential units.

One of the locals opposed to the plan said: "We have very real and justified concerns about this development.

"Emerson Group bought a beautiful hotel and not a building site."

Ward councillor David Greenhalgh addressed the committee on the traffic and drainage problems, the impact on the setting of the hotel and spa and what he saw as a poor suggested settlement of developer contributions towards improving the local infrastructure.

He branded the proposed new sensor-controlled traffic lights at the junction of Hospital Road and Darwen Road "absolutely ludicrous" and said the proposed drainage improvements were a "complete joke".

Committee member Cllr Norman Critchley – a Bromley Cross ward councillor – said: "We should take the bull by the horns and reject this.

"I do not believe there is one single aspect that I could even think of approving.

"It would cause utmost damage to the aspect of the Last Drop Village which is highly respected by councillors and residents of not only Bromley Cross, but of Bolton."

A representative of Jones Homes explained the roads on the new development would be private and therefore would be privately maintained, paid for by ground rent on the leasehold properties that would also fund upkeep on the envisaged new drainage system.

Cllr Debbie Newall said: "The actual housing development, particularly the over-55s accommodation, I think is a really good concept.

"I feel it's a considerate application to try to reach out to all aspects of the community that are in need of housing.

"We have to protect the Green Belt and this particular piece of land is not designated as Green Belt. It is, as I see it, an infill between two established residential areas."

The earmarked field is unallocated so-called 'white land' in the council's blueprint of future development.

Cllr Nick Peel said: "I can't see how we as a committee can follow this new direction of the government house-building target and protect the Green Belt completely and also protect other pieces of land that don't have Green Belt status. The problem is we can't do both.

"I don't feel we have a leg to stand on to oppose this application."

Ten committee members voted to approve the proposals and 10 voted against.

Committee chairman Cllr Hanesh Darvish had the casting vote and sided with the officers' recommendation to grant planning permission.

Angry residents heckled and tried to confront those committee members who voted in favour of the scheme.

Jones Jones has specified that 41 of the properties would be sold on the open market and eight would be bungalows for social rent.

Fourteen would be designated as intermediate housing, available at a 20 per cent discount to the market rate, and 35 would be accommodation for the over-55s.