MORE than 300 letters objecting to plans for 48 social homes to be built in a green space have signed and delivered to the council.

Horwich and Blackrod First Independents town councillors handed in the letters to the borough solicitor on Thursday.

Bolton At Home plans to build 48 houses next to playing fields in Horwich, known as Pickup's Fields.

Members of the newly-formed hyper-local party set up stalls to collect signatures earlier this week.

A spokesman said: "We urge Bolton Council to listen and read the concerns Horwich has about losing more green space. Many reasons have been given by the public, expressing a wide range of opinions.

"Many pointing out the obvious, losing even more green space is detrimental to the health and wellbeing of residents, loss of natural habitat for wildlife and birds and contradicts Bolton Council Core Strategies."

The grassy land behind Singleton Avenue is next to a protected recreation site but this specific spot was earmarked for housing by the council years ago.

Residents say the ownership of these fields is disputed and are calling for it to be proved beyond any doubt.

They want to continue using the fields for recreation despite the "lack of maintenance" of this particular section over the last three years.

Bolton At Home vice-chair, Cllr Kevin McKeon, noted concerns about the number of developments in Horwich but stressed the importance of social housing.