A Green Belt action group is staging a protest calling for hundreds of homes not to be built in Little Lever.

In November 2020 Watson Construction (Holdings) Ltd submitted an application to build 274 new homes on the site of the former Creams Mill and land off Hall Lane.

Plans were changed slightly for the Hall Lane site early last year because of ‘overdevelopment’ concerns, which reduced the number of homes from 96 to 77.

The change meant that not all homes at Hall Lane would be ‘affordable housing’ as previously stated.

But 61 per cent of the overall development if approved again will include affordable homes with all of these at the Creams Mill and Mytham Road section.

The Bolton News: Steve McKinney and Simon Johnson of Little Lever Green Belt Action GroupSteve McKinney and Simon Johnson of Little Lever Green Belt Action Group

The planning application was refused in December 2021, but Watson Construction Holdings have now submitted an appeal.

Steve McKinney, secretary of the Little Lever Green Belt Action Group said: “Our green belt is sacrosanct and should be protected at all costs.

“Building on green belt would destroy precious wildlife habitats as well as the beauty of the trees and plant-life.

“The village infrastructure and road network cannot cope with more houses.

“Little Lever School was oversubscribed last year in every class and every year.

“The two sites at Hall Lane and Mytham road are the last two pieces of Green Belt land, in Little Lever, which is already a huge sprawling estate.”

Some of the group’s other concerns include traffic building up on the A6034, which they believe is already congested and gridlocked at peak times.

Part of the plans also include repairing the 60m breach and the restoration of a 700m stretch of the Bolton and Bury Canal to bring it back into water for the first time since 1936.

The Bolton News: Aerial view of Creams Mill and land off Hall Lane development (Credit: Watson Homes)Aerial view of Creams Mill and land off Hall Lane development (Credit: Watson Homes)

There has also led to scepticism among the group as to whether the breech will be repaired on the Manchester, Bolton, and Bury canal, due to it not being viable due to costs.

During the previous planning meeting in December, Cllr Sean Hornby – who represents Little Lever and who has previously sat on the planning committee - raised a number of concerns.

He said: “My main concerns are the traffic aspect of it because the traffic survey was done during the pandemic, so it is not a true reflection of the traffic.

“The original application was submitted in 2009, where concerns were raised about the impact to wildlife.

“What’s changed from then until now?

“If anything, there will be more traffic now.

“I accept we need housing, and most of these if approved will be affordable housing, but they can’t afford to fix the breach in the canal, so they will need high class housing to subsidise the rest of the development.

“There are mixed views in Little Lever.

“Although Creams Paper Mill is brown field, the rear of Cedar Avenue and Hall Lane is Green Belt and would be completely lost.”

Cllr Hornby also said that the original application was submitted in 2009, and he questioned what the difference is now, other than more traffic.

Major bid to build on old Bolton mill site rejected

Director at Watson Homes, Rob Watson said: “The previous application took on board comments from local residents and statutory consultees received during the public consultation and during the determination of the application.

"We always endeavour to take on any local concerns across our developments.

"There is a serious need for additional housing in Bolton, particularly affordable housing, in order to meet housing requirements, as set out in the Local Plan.

"Brownfield locations, such as the one at Creams Mill, are allocated for housing within that Local Plan, which will be delivered as part of this proposal, but are not currently viable without additional development to improve the areas around the sites.

"Additional benefits include bringing the canal back into use, a long-held ambition.

"The disused land currently attracts anti-social behaviour and trespassing, which will be reduced with development, further benefitting the wider community.

"We are working towards presenting our case to the Inspector at the independent public inquiry in November.”

The group’s protest walk will take place on Sunday September 4 at 1pm, meeting on the canal car park, at Hall Lane / Church Street.

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