BUILDING 21 new homes in Astley Bridge could cause “huge problems” for residents, according to a local councillor.

Cllr Hilary Fairclough has spoken out against the proposals to build 21 properties in Moss Lea, which will be discussed by councillors at Thursday’s planning committee meeting.

Bolton Council’s planning office has recommended the plans, submitted by Public Sector PLC (PSP) for approval, despite the objections.

Officers say that the borough’s need for new housing outweighs concerns over traffic and the loss of a much-loved greenfield site.

Cllr Fairclough said: “Anybody who lives around there knows how difficult it is to get cars in and out. It is an unadopted road and a poorly maintained one.

“Often, bins do not get emptied because the bin men cannot get around there.

“To bring in 21 new homes with a minimum of 42 new cars will cause more issues. Eventually, you do reach a saturation point. From an infrastructure point of view, there are huge problems.

“But this is also an area of natural beauty and I think it is a shame that this application has been put in.

“I know we have a need for housing in Bolton, but I think we should be looking at other sites instead of this one.”

Follow live coverage of the town hall meeting on Thursday at theboltonnews.co.uk