THE future of an historic 1,000-acre estate is now in the government's hands. Local Democracy Reporter JOSEPH TIMAN looks back at the events leading up to the landmark inquiry, the first of its kind in Bolton for more than 20 years, which begins tomorrow.

A MAJOR housing development of more than a thousand homes, a Ryder Cup-ready golf course and the restoration of the historic Hulton Park Estate could be scrapped following a lengthy and costly campaign against it.

Developer Peel L&P's plans to build 1,036 houses at the protected green belt site, together with an 18-hole golf course, 142-bedroom hotel and conference facilities will be considered afresh by a government-appointed inspector at a public inquiry which gets underway this week.

It comes 18 months after councillors' controversial decision to let the development go ahead which was called in by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government in July 2018.

This is the first time that the government has intervened in a decision by Bolton Council in such a way since the new Wanderers' football stadium and the major out-of-town retail park in Middlebrook were signed off by John Major's administration in 1995.

The rare move followed a hard-fought battle by MPs, councillors and campaigners from Hulton Estate Area Residents Together (HEART) which also gained the support of Westhoughton-born actress Maxine Peake.

The campaigners, who have now raised more than £40,000 towards legal costs to fight the developer, sent hundreds of letters urging the government to call in the decision.

Notable fundraising efforts include a "Calendar Girls" project in which HEART campaigners stripped off for the photo shoot at Deardens Farm – a site which is threatened by the development.

The Partington family who run the award-winning dairy farm face losing their home if the transformation of Hulton Park goes ahead.

HEART chairman David Chadwick told The Bolton News that campaigners are "quietly confident" about the inquiry.

He believes that the development is not needed in the area, arguing that it will have minimal benefits locally while exacerbating traffic congestion and pollution.

The former Labour councillor, who dismissed Peel's arguments as "spurious", thanked supporters of the campaign for their help so far.

He said: "It's been a bit of a David and Goliath. I’m very grateful for people who have raised this money to fight Peel. I’m also very grateful to the public who have made donations. It's a testament to local people."

Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi, who lobbied the Secretary of State to call in the decision, intends to speak at the public inquiry.

She will be objecting to the plans on highways and environmental grounds and argue that the additional housing requires infrastructure such as GPs, schools and shops to support it.

Ms Qureshi also cast doubts over the site being chosen to host a Ryder Cup tournament – a key part of plans throughout.

She said: “I love my town and I’d love to have a Ryder Cup in our town but when there are bigger golf courses in the country, the Ryder Cup isn’t going to come here."

Peel announced that it would push back its bid to host the international golf competition despite Bolton Council granting planning permission for the development on the condition that the developer secures the 2026 Ryder Cup – which will take place in Limerick, Ireland instead.

It will now look to host the 2030 or 2034 tournament at Hulton Park and hope to negotiate different conditions should the planning application be approved.

Council leader David Greenhalgh stressed the importance of the local authority having robust representation legally at the public inquiry to make sure that the borough gets the best deal should the plans go ahead.

Nevertheless, councillors voted to limit its support for the development to the "statutory minimum" and later axed a leading specialist barrister, David Elvin QC, who was due to defend the council's decision to let Peel's proposal go ahead.

Bolton West MP Chris Green said he was pleased that the council agreed to reduce the amount of money it puts into defending the planning committee's "appalling" decision within the first 100 days of the Conservatives taking control of the town hall.

He said: “I now hope that the upcoming public inquiry delivers the result we’re all been hoping for and that Hulton Park will be protected for future generations.”

However, Labour leader Linda Thomas defended her administration's record, pointing to the council's bid to retain Hulton Park's protected green belt status under her leadership.

The site was not earmarked for housing in Bolton's submission to the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF) – the region's 20-year masterplan for homes, jobs and the environment.

This means, if the latest draft proposal is given the green light, all 13,940 houses that must be built in the borough by 2037 would be located on brownfield sites.

Westhoughton North councillor Christine Wild recognised that Bolton has move on from the original GMSF where green belt was identified for house building.

She said: "Thanks to the tenacity of those opposed to this development of houses on green belt, we now have an opportunity at the public inquiry to state our opposition to the destruction of this land. I’m against the development of this land for houses we can’t afford to keep destroying the lungs of the town."

Hulton councillor Toby Hewitt said he has been working with the Over Hulton Neighbourhood Forum to produce a Local Plan helping the community to influence the planning of the area.

He said: "I have, alongside councillor colleagues from Hulton and Westhoughton, worked consistently to voice the opposition and concerns of local residents on planning grounds to the decision taken by planning committee for the application by Peel Holding of houses on Hulton Park green belt land. It is land not allocated for the purposes of housing.

"I hope the Inspectorate will listen to the arguments and realise the ‘very special circumstances’ which were used to seek permission do not hold water."

Lib Dem leader Roger Hayes said his group is also against the development and also doubts that the site will be chosen to host the international golf championship it relies on. He said: "I think the Ryder Cup in Bolton is a lovely idea but not something I regard as very likely."