THE planning inquiry into five partially-built mansions which have been ordered to be knocked down has finished.

The luxury detached properties, at Grundy Fold Farm, off Chorley Old Road, for which Bolton Council issued an enforcement notice for demolition in 2018, were up to a third bigger and in different locations than allowed, the inquiry heard.

The inquiry heard from plot holders and their lawyer and from Bolton Council.

Planning permission was granted for the conversion of the former farmhouse and four new homes around a central courtyard in 2014.

Developers Sparkle demolished the farmhouse and began building afresh and partially constructed four new homes in the wrong locations and with different dimensions than agreed.

The inquiry is considering two appeals from the house owners, one against the demolition enforcement and another to try and overturn a decision on a subsequent amended planning application.

Closing arguments were presented at the final day of the inquiry.

Ian Ponter, who represents Bolton Council said: “Substantial weight should be given to any harm to the green belt.

“There is no dispute now that the development comprised in each of the appeal schemes is inappropriate development in the green belt.

“That is by definition harmful.

“The appeal schemes generate a very substantial loss of openness.

“The character of the area is scattered farms, individual rural houses and groups of houses clustered into small villages located below the uplands.

“The original plans were expressly designed to be compatible with that settlement pattern.

“They were sensitively sited in a hamlet form of development.”

He said that the current location of the houses represents ‘ a significant departure away from the clear design intentions of the 2014 scheme’.

Killian Garvey, for the householders, said that the effect on openness of the greenbelt of the houses were they are now did not cause significant harm to openness.

He also argued that the enforcement action to order demolition was not proportionate to the breaches of planning.

He also said the revised plans which were part of the second appeal would improve the biodiversity of the area.

Arguments were put forward that the enforcement would mean financial hardship to the householders he represented and would also be harmful to the children and elderly relatives of his clients who were set to live in the completed houses.

Planning inspector Jason Whitfield will now deliberate on the appeals and publish his decisions at a future unspecified date.