THE future of a controversial coach depot will be decided early next year.

Tyrers Coaches have appealed Bolton Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for its depot in Farnworth and an inquiry will be held on February 27 to determine whether they can continue operating at the site.

The company has also appealed against a noise abatement order issued by the council and that case will be heard at Bolton Magistrates Court in January.

Neighbours living close to the site, off Bloomfield Road, have argued that their quality of life has been ruined by noise and air pollution from the dozens of diesel coaches parked at the back of their homes since 2015, when Tyrers moved in without obtaining planning permission.

Matt Buckle, director of Tyrers Coaches, said: “As a family-run business since 1972 we feel it is important to do everything we can to safeguard 40 jobs and continue serving our local communities.

“We have submitted appeals against both the abatement notice and the refusal of planning permission and have been in regular contact with the court and the Planning Inspectorate to progress our case, which we believe has good prospects of success.”

In April, the council served an enforcement notice calling on Tyrers to vacate the site within six months.

However, the company’s appeal against the planning committee decision means that notice cannot be enforced.

John Anderton, who spoke on behalf of local residents at the planning meeting in March, said: “The whole situation has been a nonsense.

“Hopefully the result of both hearings will be based on the facts of what is happening here.”

He said that 35 coaches can leave the depot between 7am and 7.40am each morning and that some coaches arrive back after midnight, adding that noise assessments that had been carried out were ‘stage-managed’ and did not reflect the everyday reality at the site.

The council leader, Cllr Cliff Morris, said in March that the council had no option but to refuse the application, but added that ‘a little imagination’ could have resolved the dispute.