OWNERS of the five luxury homes built at Grundy Fold Farm have taken matters into their own hands. Local Democracy Reporter JOSEPH TIMAN reports on the latest attempt to reach an agreement and prevent all the mansions from being knocked down.

THE homeowners of five mansions at the centre of a planning controversy have offered to knock down two of the properties and reduce the size of one.

They hope this compromise means the developer will not have to knock down all five of the homes in Grundy Fold Farm.

The council issued an enforcement notice requiring Sparkle Developments to knock down all the properties last summer but this has been put on hold as the company has appealed the decision.

This came after the developer asked the council to retain the houses twice – but the revised plans were refused on both occasions.

Planning chiefs told Sparkle Developments that the only acceptable plans would involve selective demolition and re-siting of some of the houses, but the developer stuck with its own plan which was then refused by the planning committee.

Now the homeowners have come together, independently of the developer, to make the council a peace offering and broker a deal.

A letter from agent Emery Planning to the council’s planning department confirms that the homeowners are now in full control of the planning process.

It said: “Our clients understand the seriousness of the enforcement situation and they wish to avoid this scenario insofar as possible.

“The homeowners hope that their actions are not interpreted in any way as an attempt to frustrate or prolong the planning process; rather, the homeowners wish to bring matters to a satisfactory conclusion for all parties given the severe emotional distress as a result of the ongoing uncertainties.”

Emery Planning claims the scheme is “deliverable” in commercial and practical terms and could be fully implemented within a reasonable timescale if approved.

It is yet to be decided who would pay for the construction costs if the plans are approved but a legal framework is in place to ensure that the costs of the works are met.

This framework, which is not legally binding, has been introduced by the homeowners to the developer who, they say, has been co-operative so far.

Speaking to The Bolton News, members of the newly formed Grundy Fold Homeowners Association say that the new plans exceed the council’s minimum requirements.

They hope that this will remedy the developer’s shortfalls.

A spokesman said: “The last several years have been extremely difficult for all the Grundy Fold Homeowners.

“With a view to avoiding enforcement action, the homeowners have formed an association and have made it clear to the local planning authority that they wish to meet the council’s minimum requirement as set out in an earlier officer report.”

Currently, the homes are a different design, sitting and size from what was originally permitted. Specifically, the footprint and total floor area is larger than approved and the height of three houses is higher than permitted.

READ MORE: Grundy Fold Farm - how the saga has unfolded so far

The homes were also built away from the exact siting they had approval for.

Planning officers said that the demolition and re-sitting of Plots 3 and 4 and the reduction of Plot 1 is a minimum requirement for approval.

The new scheme offers to reduce the size of Plot 1, make alterations to Plot 2 and demolish Plots 3 and 4, but changes are still being made.

These homes would be rebuilt but reduced in scale and put back to the originally approved locations.

In addition there is a legal agreement for the future maintenance and management of an area of land almost eight hectares in size beyond the residential gardens to include a landscaping scheme.

The homeowners say this will provide biodiversity benefits including 10,000m² of new woodland planting, 500m new linear hedgerow planting and a new ecology pond.

Each of the five homes have been sold by the developer to the homeowners on a freehold basis.

The spokesman added: “We hope that by taking direct control of the planning application, a solution can now be reached with the local planning authority in absence of the developer.”