PLANS to build 300 new homes on a golf course, which have been labelled ‘complete sacrilege’, have been presented to town hall bosses.

Peel Investments North wants to transform the Horwich Golf Course into a massive residential development and has formally submitted its plans to Bolton Council.

The proposals have sparked fury from local residents and councillors since the multi-billion pound developer first unveiled its vision for the site last year.

The site, which is owned by Peel, has ‘Protected Open Land’ status — as did major development sites in Blackrod and Westhoughton that the Government has recently approved housebuilding schemes on.

Horwich North East councillor Richard Sylvester said: “I have been helping the Stocks Residents and the New Chapel Residents Associations with advice and support to fight these proposals.

“We had a successful initial meeting at the end of last year and we will be holding another meeting this coming Monday.

“Peel are predicting an extra 150 to 200 car journeys each morning and evening along Victoria Road in their transport assessment if their plans go ahead and residents living on both Bond Close and Mayfair are certainly not looking forward to an increase in traffic on their quiet cul-de-sacs which will both be made into entrance ways as well into the new housing site.

“Opposition to these plans is growing every day and I will be behind my residents 100 per cent objecting to these plans. It is complete sacrilege for such a beautiful part of Horwich to be destroyed and bulldozed over.”

The development would comprise a mixture of two, three, four, and five-bedroom mews, semi-detached, and detached homes.

In the planning application, the developer states: “The proposed development offers the opportunity to deliver new market and affordable housing, high quality open space and landscaping as well as biodiversity benefits to help the local planning authority in meeting its housing requirements in a sustainable manner.

“The benefits of the proposed development, in particular in terms of housing delivery, should be given very significant weight. The proposal would represent a logical extension of the existing town in a sustainable location, without significant harm to the landscape, the capacity of the local highways network, or any other technical matter.”

The property giant’s plans to build a championship golf course and more than 1,000 at the Hulton Park Estate are also expected to come before the council’s planning committee in the coming months.