PLANS for a 38ft-high concrete mixing plant on the Blackrod Industrial Estate have been thrown out.

Residents handed in petitions signed by 189 people and 41 letters to Bolton Council opposing the £200,000 Amix Concrete scheme.

The proposals for the disused yard area at the Scot Lane site included two silos, four concrete-mixing vats and a steel temporary building.

Locals, backed by Blackrod Town Council, had claimed there were unstable mine shafts nearby, arguing the plant would create dust and noise pollution and traffic problems.

The company argued its operation would be environmentally friendly and promised there would be no more than 20-25 vehicle movements per day at peak times.

And council planning officers recommended approval of the scheme subject to conditions. But the council's planning and highways committee unanimously rejected the plan after hearing from objector Roy Chamberlain of Chamberlain Doors in Scot Lane.

He told councillors: "We believe it's the wrong scheme in the wrong place and the site is totally insufficient in size to accommodate the proposals.

"Bolton Council has worked hard on the visual appearance of gateways to Bolton and here we have a structure which would be over-dominant on a main arterial route into the town."

Horwich and Blackrod borough and town councillor, Ian Hamilton, said: "The silos would be the new twin towers of Blackrod at nearly 40ft high.

"They would be an abomination in a rural area and the plant would create dust and noise."

Cllr Hamilton added that Scot Lane was already heavily congested with traffic and that access to the site would need improving to accommodate HGVs using the plant.

He said: "The applicants are not willing to pay for those modifications because they feel everyone using the site should pay."

The council's environmental health officers said a noise assessment and details of dust suppression methods had allayed initial fears.

But Cllr Linda Thomas said she had never seen them insist on so many conditions.

"Our officers will never be away from the area, this would cause constant problems," she said.

"I know it's an industrial site but this activity would be totally inappropriate."

Cllr Sean Hornby said: "There would be conditions like vehicle sheeting and cleaning but how would you police them?

"I have concerns about the HGVs causing vibration to properties nearby and the dust would be spread everywhere. This would have an unacceptable impact on the village environment."