COUNCILLORS say they are ‘optimistic’ that a dispute over the building of a controversial new housing estate can be resolved amicably.

Little Lever councillors met with developers on Thursday to air concerns over 25 homes being built in Park Road.

Contractors were forced to move off the site earlier this year due to anti-social behaviour, while residents have long-standing objections to the additional traffic and noise generated by the project.

This week, the Great Places Housing Group confirmed that a planned four-week road closure to allow a new sewer to be installed will be delayed, though councillors have suggested an alternative arrangement to minimise disruption.

Cllr Sean Hornby, one of three UKIP councillors who called the meeting, said: “Right from the go, I said to them that the way the whole building has been dealt with is appalling.

“We will have to hold a public meeting before any single bit of work is done on that estate, including this proposed road closure.

“We also want a complete breakdown in advance to show us what every stage of the development will be.

“The developer has agreed to see if they can do this road closure in four phases, rather than having the entire road closed for four weeks, to limit the disruption and let residents park a bit closer to their homes.

“I am optimistic because the developer is accepting that they have to listen to us and they are asking us what to do in order to appease the residents in that area.”

Cllr Hornby says he would like to improve community involvement in the project by having primary school children ‘adopt’ a house and follow its progress through the construction.

He would also like Little Lever High School pupils with an interest in the construction industry to be given the chance to visit the building site.

Peter Bojar, executive director of growth and assets at Great Places Housing Group, said this week that the developer was keen for the contractor, Galliford Try, to ‘get back on site as soon as possible’.

He added that the company will ‘be looking at ways to keep disruption to a minimum for residents while these much-needed family homes are built’.