A PLAN for a block of apartments on a restaurant car park in Westhoughton has been given the green light -- despite a wave of objections from residents.

Developers have been given permission to build around 20 apartments on the car park of the La Scala restaurant on the A6 Chorley Road.

The proposals had been met with opposition from local residents and Westhoughton Town Council, who fear that the reduction in parking spaces at the restaurant could force customers to park on narrow roads nearby and cause traffic problems.

Objectors also raised concerns that 16 parking spaces for the residents of the flats would not be enough.

Speaking at the planning committee meeting, Cllr David Wilkinson said: "It is a busy restaurant and the number of spaces is insufficient."

But councillors voted to approve the plan after it was suggested that the number of spaces would meet guidelines and that refusal could lead to a costly appeal process being triggered.

Also at the meeting, a second proposal for apartments in Westhoughton was turned down.

William Hargreaves Ltd applied to build houses and 15 apartments on land off Leigh Street but councillors said the plan would create too much pressure on the busy junction with Church Street.