PLANS to build 106 homes have been scrapped in favour of a new bid to build 150 on the same site.

The controversial plans to build 106 houses on the former Roscoe's Farm in Westhoughton sparked criticism over lacking infrastructure and the protection of the nearby nature reserve, but the application received approval from Bolton Council in 2016.

Ground was broken on the site at the beginning of May, just before the planning permission expired, commencing foundations.

Now, brand new plans to build 150 homes as part of "a new and improved scheme" have been launched to replace the approved application.

This comes after the development was sold by landowner, The Peel Group.

The original developer of the 106 houses was Jones Homes.

Northstone, a Peel subsidiary created in October 2018, took over as the next developer and has been working to alter the plans for the site ever since.

Northstone launched an application to change the type of housing of the original 106 homes earlier this month. The request raised concerns from town councillors.

At a May town council meeting, members asked whether the plans where a "nibbling exercise" to fit more homes on the site, with the council agreeing that they would like to "see due process done" and look at the Roscoe's Farm plans in full.

Councillor David Wilkinson said: "Everybody knew that that was not the full application and that it was being done in salami slices.

"That is an extremely bad way to go about a planning application. It doesn't give any real information to the public.

"If Northstone come back with a full application, then people can make their own decision based on the information, not this farce that we've had up to now."

Northstone's newly revealed plans are in the pre-application consultation phase, but would require council approval of an entirely fresh application to go ahead. Northstone states that its plans "have been designed to reflect changing market conditions" since the 2016 designs.

A spokesperson said: "Northstone’s proposals will increase the number of smaller homes provided in response to the projected growth of adult-only and single-person households in Bolton over the coming decades."

Residents are being invited by Northstone to have their say on the proposals by completing the online feedback form at the project website www.roscoesfarm.co.uk. The closing date given for comments is next Thursday, June 6.