A FISHERY boss has moved to allay fears that new buildings planned in an expansion of his business could be turned into houses.

Steve Kershaw, who owns the Curley's Fishery at the Wallsuches Reservoir in Horwich, insisted, "I'm not a property developer" after a Bolton Council planning officer raised concerns.

Mr Kershaw wants to rebuild and extend a cafe which was given temporary permission in 2003 as part of an 11 acre leisure complex for walkers and fishermen.

He wants to add another two-storey building including a tackle shop, classroom for school pupils, equipment barn and a bailiff's office and flat.

The application also includes 38 parking spaces and asks for a condition banning fishing at night to be lifted.

But in an email to a colleague, planning officer Andy Lancashire, said: "The site lies within green belt and I am concerned that all these uses are inappropriate and over the top.

"It is likely that once permission is granted for the buildings, in the future there will be no more need for them and they will be turned into houses."

He added in a letter to Mr Kershaw's agent that the size of the storage barn was "excessive and inappropriate", comparing the size of the expanded cafe to that of the McDonalds restaurant at Middlebrook.

Mr Lancashire also asked why the flat was necessary, saying that while he recognised security could be an issue, it was not reason enough to justify residential use of green belt land.

In a letter to the council, neighbour, Gary Russell, said that while did not object to the fishery he could not support the flat or shop.

But Mr Kershaw, who lives on the Stocks Park estate in Horwich, said: "I can see why the planning officer might think this but if I was a property developer I would not have moved my family here and put my son into school here.

"I would not have erected a log cabin for the temporary cafe - I would have used stone and slate, made the cafe a bungalow and sold it for £800,000."

Mr Kershaw said that if it approved his application the council could add conditions meaning the use of the buildings could not be changed.

He said 250 people including fishermen, visitors and residents has signed a petition backing his plans.