A SAWMILL in protected land could be turned into terraced housing as plans for a new development have been revealed.

A total of five terraced houses could be built on a site next to The Hollins, off Plodder Lane in Farnworth.

The land, which is currently used as a sawmill and timber storage, is surrounded by a golf course and is “hemmed in” between a gas distribution station and residential land.

A planning application requesting permission in principle to build the dwellings on green belt land has been submitted to the council.

But in a letter to the local authority, planning agent Michael McLoughlin, argues that the proposed development would be an improvement for the existing properties in the neighbourhood and should be allowed to go ahead.

He said: “The coming and going of timber lorries, the noise from de-barking logs, sawing them to size and planing the rough-sawn wood is not a good neighbour to housing.”

“It is therefore not unreasonable to submit this proposal, which proposes to remove the sawmill and replacing it by a terrace of five dwellings building of roughly the same length as the existing main building on the application site.”

The terrace would be two-storeys in height with tailor-made roof construction to enable the roof space to be used as habitable room space.

Mr McLoughlin added: “So doing would chime with terraces in the immediate vicinity and would make best use of the site.”

Commenting on the proposal, a town hall tree officer said there are no objections to the development from the council on biodiversity grounds.

However, he stressed that protecting wild birds, their nest and eggs from disturbance is required by law.

He added: “Any demolition or felling of the trees and clearance of vegetation should be undertaken outside the bird nesting season or not without the site being declared free of nesting birds by a suitable qualified specialist.”

“Any future application should provide recommendations for enhancement of biodiversity in the new development, as required in the National Planning Policy Framework (2018), Paragraph 170. Further detail of the biodiversity benefits of these proposals together with other biodiversity enhancements.”

The sawmill has been operating since 1973 and is located near to Great Lever and Farnworth Golf Club.

The planning application has been submitted in the name of Mr Jack Taylor.

Town hall planners are due to decide the outcome of the application by the end of January.