Bolton Council has been ordered to pay costs after its planning bosses failed to rule on an application to build a number of homes of the site of a quarry.

The ruling by the Planning Inspectorate is the latest in which Bolton taxpayers are having to pick up the bill after an appeal - despite plans being thrown out.

A proposal for the construction of four homes on the site of Cox Green Quarry was submitted to the council by a Mr and Mrs Gregory at the start of last year.

The application, a resubmission of one withdrawn after it too went undetermined, was supposed to be considered by March 2022.

But the applicants appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2022 after the council did not make a decision in time for the deadline.

The inspector appointed to the case, Mark Caine, refused the proposal for the construction of four homes on the land off Cox Green Road on the basis of its impact on the appearance and character of the area.

But the council was ordered to cover the cost of the appeal due to its non-determination, although it said this non-determination was a result of pressures like coronavirus and staff sickness.

In his decision Mr Caine's stated: "The pressures on the council’s resources to fulfil the obligation to determine the planning applications one way or another are acknowledged and are regrettable. 

"However, the determination process is not linear and much of what the council has alleged is not extraordinary. It should have been capable of much swifter action."

It adds: "Notwithstanding the outcome of the appeal, the submitted chronology of events surrounding the appeal proposal demonstrates that unnecessary consequences for this appeal arose from clear deficiencies in collaboration, communication and also timeliness on the council’s part.

"I therefore find that the Council has acted unreasonably and that the appellants' expense in mounting the appeal has been unnecessarily incurred. As such a full award of costs is justified."

In recent weeks, Bolton Council was also ordered to cover the cost of appeals in relation to an extension to Montcliffe Quarry and a golf course at Hulton Park.

The authority was correct to refuse an extension to Montcliffe Quarry, but it was incorrect to do so for the reason it did, the Planning Inspectorate ruled.

And the authority was unreasonable to refuse a golf course at Hulton Park, an inspector said, with the plan now allowed to progress if the borough is successful in a bid for the Ryder Cup.

A spokesperson for the local authority said: "Bolton Council was disappointed that costs had been awarded.

"The council is making every effort to work with applicants to agree when and how individual applications are determined.