A GRADE II mill will be demolished and 121 houses built in its place.

Councillors sitting on the planning committee went against officers' recommendation to give outline planning permission to applicant Arndale Properties to knock down two buildings dating back to 1895 and 1902 in Beehive Mills Crescent Road, Great Lever.

Cllr Mohammed Ayub said: "The mill has been vacated for the past three-and-half-years.

"I think it is an eyesore. We need housing and I support the application."

Cllr Elaine Sherrington asked whether there was a possibility of keeping part of the mill, such as a pillar, to celebrate the building's heritage.

She said: "If we had something on the site to show where the Beehive Mill was, that would quite a nice thing.

Officers had recommended the application be refused because the "bar" for a Grade II listed building was set high.

But councillors said that the history of the mill should be remembered with information collated to keep in Bolton Museum.

Cllr Nick Peel said: "If we give permission to sites like this we have more power to protect our greenbelt, if we started resisting sustainable inner urban site like this, we can expect a storm."

The final decision will be taken by the Secretary of State because of the mill's status.