TWO people who bought into the now-doomed Grundy Fold Farm luxury housing development have put forward a new housing plan to ‘mitigate the severe financial and emotional hardship’ experienced.

Bolton Council has received a new planning application for Plot 5 of the development. This is the second application to be submitted for the site in recent weeks, with one also being put forward for Plot 4.

In May, the five partially-built mansions were ordered to be demolished by May 2022 by the council, despite pleas from the homeowners to a planning inspector.

The detached mansions at Grundy Fold Farm, off Chorley New Road, were built up to a third bigger and in different locations than specified on the original plans.

Plot 5 originally had permission to alter and extend the former farmhouse there but this permission was lost when the farmhouse was demolished.

This plot has no existing permission for a home, unlike the other four mansions.

Now Gareth Salthouse, of Emery Planning, has submitted an application of behalf of Mr and Mrs Thompson, in which he outlines the personal hardship suffered by them caused by the farm saga.

Planning permission was initially granted for the conversion of the former farmhouse and four new homes around a central courtyard in 2014, but permission for the farmhouse was removed when the farmhouse was demolished by the developers.

But under the new plans the proposed‘farmhouse’ would, it is said, provide a link to the original farmhouse, keeping in-line with the‘farmstead’ or ‘hamlet’ character.

In a letter to planning bosses, Mr Salthouse said: “The proposed development would help to mitigate the severe financial and emotional hardship experienced by the applicants and their family.

“As per the co-joined appeal dealt with earlier this year, the applicants find themselves in this position through no fault of their own and it has resulted in severe personal hardship.”

He added: “The proposed dwelling house is materially the same as the approved farmhouse scheme in terms of its overall built form (the height would be the same and the footprint 3sqm smaller) and it would be sited in a similar position.

“The erection of a single dwelling house would make a positive contribution towards addressing the borough’s significant housing shortfall. The council cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.”

Under the plans the demolition work for the existing building at plot no 5 will be secured through the enforcement notice, according to Mr Salthouse.

Ward councillor Andy Morgan said: “We want it sorted as soon as possible, and the application will be looked at in the normal way.

“But until anything changes, and we have made a decision, as it stands the houses should be built correctly or pulled down.”

Neighbours and consultees were sent formal notifications regarding Plot 5’s application this week.