DEVELOPERS who break planning rules will face a ‘tougher stance’ from Bolton Council, a town hall chief has pledged.

Paul Whittingham, who took over as the council’s head of planning four months ago, said that he wants to ‘send a message’ that the authority will crack down on buildings going up without proper permission.

In June, the council was accused by residents of having ‘no guts’ after admitting that an unauthorised luxury housing development in Grundy Fold Farm was unlikely to be completely demolished.

But Mr Whittingham, speaking at Heaton and Lostock area forum, is keen to change the town hall’s reputation.

He said: “There are a number of things that I have looked at since arriving and that members are telling me to do with enforcement. Processes need to be changed.

“I have got a tougher stance on enforcement than maybe the council has had in previous years. Having said that, if someone does something without planning permission then it still has to be assessed properly in the same way as though they had never done it.”

In recent years, the number of enforcement officers at the council has been halved from four to two and councillors believe that developers are taking advantage of the situation.

Cllr Andy Morgan said: “They are chancing it and this is happening all over the borough.

“They think they might as well chance their arm because the probability of it being pulled down is zilch. We just don’t enforce.”

Cllr Bob Allen added: “This perceived lack of enforcement does nothing to give confidence to the public that our planning process is sound.”

At the meeting at Ladybridge High School, Margaret Collier criticised the council’s planning process as not being transparent. She added: “People know they can do what they want and then apply for retrospective planning permission that will invariably be granted.”

Mr Whittingham confirmed that Sparkle Developments has been given a deadline to return to the council with amended plans for Grundy Fold Farm — or face action from the council.

The controversy over the Chorley Old Road houses began after the applicant built properties in a different size, design and location than was agreed with the council in 2014.

Mr Whittingham said: “There is a number of cases that are being considered and reconsidered. Some of those may come through the committee process.

“Officers need members’ support to be able to establish that tough line and to send a message. I am sure that when we do something it will be send out a message that we are taking a tougher stance on enforcement.”