A POPULAR fried chicken restaurant could be built on the site of a former church after representatives put in a planning application.

KFC have applied to Bolton Council for the right to put up new signs at a prospective eatery on Bolton Road, Breightmet, on the site of the old Breightmet Methodist Church.

The plans, which include images of a new glass-fronted store, were submitted to the council's planning department in late March.

They concern the construction of several large KFC logo signs, parking signs, a menu board and a number of other features necessary to build a new restaurant.

Images of the proposed new building, on the corner of Bury Road and Meadow Lane, include a prospective car park with 24 spaces and two waiting bays. These mock-ups also show a drive-through area and a paved section of outdoor seating.

The church itself, which dated back to 1848, was closed in 2010 because of problems with the ageing building and a fall in the size of the congregation.

It remained abandoned, along with the former chapel building next door, until it was demolished in late 2015.

There have been a number of other applications on the site over the years, including a plan to build 14 apartments in 2012 and another to build 11 homes in 2016.

Both of the applications were approved by the council's planning department subject to conditions.

The most recent application, concerning construction of the signs, has been delegated to planning officers rather than councillors to decide.

In January, planning chiefs approved an application to build a new KFC restaurant on land between King Street and Albert Road, in Farnworth town centre.

Planners had received two letters of objection sent by nearby residents, but councillors agreed to allow the proposals after receiving assurances that there would be around 40 jobs created and that KFC would aim to hire local people.

To find out more about the Bury Road application, search for reference number 05748/19 on the council planning portal at: www.planningpa.bolton.gov.uk.