A DEVELOPER responsible for building five unauthorised luxury homes in the Green Belt has told how he has "incurred a very serious financial penalty".

Sparkle Developments was advised to cease construction of five homes at Grundy Fold Farm, Horwich, by Bolton Council in October 2016.

This was due to the homes being built in a different size, design and location to what was agreed when planning permission was granted in August 2014.

A retrospective application submitted by Sparkle was subsequently refused last year before a new plan was put in towards proposing to demolish and rebuild two of the houses, remove a single storey extension from another, and retain the other two in their current state.

And in a letter to Bolton Council dated March 29, consultants Emery Planning revealed the effect the situation has had both on the applicant and people who had already purchased the homes.

Gareth Salthouse, principal consultant at Emery Planning, said: "You will appreciate the extent that the applicant has gone to in resolving the planning situation at Grundy Fold Farm to a satisfactory conclusion.

"The applicant has incurred a very serious financial penalty, and will do so through the implementation of the proposed scheme, and there have also been adverse consequences for the construction workers that were originally on-site.

"No construction work has taken place on the site for almost 12 months and the site has been in no beneficial economic or social use during this time.

"Further to the above, you are aware that each individual plot has been sold to individual parties

and each purchased the properties in good faith.

"Each individual had their own reasons for purchasing the plots on the basis of the plans presented to them at the time and they have also suffered severe consequences given the uncertainties over the site for a prolonged period of time, and they have been unable to occupy the properties as per their anticipated timescales.

"We do not consider that there is any justification for prolonging the present situation any longer given the points outlined through this letter and the extent that our client has gone to in addressing the local planning authority's concerns, as reflected through the revised plans now before the local planning authority."

The houses off Chorley Old Road are thought to be worth between £1.4million and £1.9million.

The issue was first raised last year when residents living across the road at Scant Row complained to Bolton Council.

Elaine Edmund described the homes as a "blot on the landscape" and claimed they had ruined the area for both local people and visitors.

She added: “It’s quite saddening really. It’s a beautiful area and you can’t allow builders to come in and ignore the council because they want to make money and ruin the area for everyone."

No date has been set for when the application goes before planning committee.