A HOUSING association is set to build 21 homes — and sell or rent them at a discounted rate.

Bolton At Home plans to build 11 houses with two bedrooms and 10 houses with three bedrooms on land at Greenroyd Avenue in Breightmet.

Bosses say the development will help improve Bolton’s affordable housing crisis.

It is also hoped the development will create local jobs when work starts in January.

A spokesman for Bolton at Home said: “It’s widely recognised there’s a severe shortage of good quality affordable housing and, in partnership with Bolton Council, we’re developing homes to meet this need.

“They are being built on derelict land next to the recently redeveloped Bolton St Catherine’s Academy.

“Each home will be of high quality, affordable and economical to run, generating lower energy bills, and the layout of the scheme will provide secure off-road parking for tenants.”

The site used to house 26 houses, which were demolished between 2003 and 2005.

The new properties will be terraced or semi detached and will be affordable housing, meaning they will be sold or rented at 80 per cent of the market rate.

Each house will have a front and back garden and a driveway.

Tony Wilson, of Levens Drive, formally objected to the scheme.

In a letter to the council, he said: “The houses would intrude upon the privacy and peace as well as the wonderful views which we have become accustomed to.”

John Sumner, of Greenroyd Avenue, added: “The road is too narrow at the proposed site and would be a safety issue with parking on the road from all these extra houses and their visitors.

It would make it very difficult to reverse into my drive without performing a six-point manoeuvre.”

Bolton Council’s planning committee granted permission after highways officers expressed no concern about access issues.

Permission had already been granted in 2005 for the construction of 49 homes on the site.