Bolton Council approve Chew Moor private car park plan

The scheme will see 19 new car parking spaces, including two disabled bays and five cycle spaces, built on the site off St John’s Road.

The proposal had drawn 70 letters of objection and 33 letters of support from residents and community members before being brought before the council’s planning committee today (November 6).

A report from Bolton Council’s planning officers said the car park would primarily be used by worshippers attending prayers, helping to ease parking pressures in the surrounding area.

They concluded the scheme would not cause unacceptable late-evening noise and that highway impacts would be “marginal” with adequate visibility at the entrance in line with national guidance.

The plans aim to create a new private car park (Image: Bolton Council)

A representative of the applicant stressed the facility's modest scale.

They said: "We've been told there will be around 15 to 20 people attending around early afternoon.

"It's a modest facility; they are not suddenly going to cram hundreds of people in.

"Activity would generally be finished before school pick-up times."

Opponents of the development argued the plan would damage the character of the village and increase congestion on nearby roads, particularly around the bend at St John’s Road and Chulsey Gate Lane.

One objector speaking at the meeting said: “Chew Moor is a civic village surrounded by green belt land.

"It’s quite clear highways officers have not visited the site during peak travel times and have not considered the full risk to the local community.”

Calls were made for double yellow lines to be installed from the car park entrance to the nearby bend to improve visibility and safety.

The Church at Chew Moor (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Anne Galloway said she could not support the plan on traffic safety grounds.

She said: “The green was a major feature of the village for generations. It had a lawn, it had trees and more recently, a village Christmas tree.

"To suggest the car park because it has open aspects so doesn't have an impact on landscape is just wrong.

"The main issue is the location of the car park. St Johns Road is absolutely congested at peak times.

"To have a busy car park right in the middle of congestion is going to make the situation even worse and lead to gridlock.

“The car park entrance is just metres away from a 90-degree bend.

"Outside peak times, any villager will tell you no driver drives at 20mph.

"It's really dangerous to have a car park there."

She said many would travel by car, and a car park would encourage the expansion of the congregation with the area not be able to support increase in traffic, especially at peak times.

Backing her view, Cllr Martin Tighe said: "I don’t think it’s a good idea at all. It’s only going to attract more people.

"We should focus on residents who live here rather than people driving in during the week."

However, supporters of the project said it would help reduce on-street parking.

Cllr John McHugh said: “If you refuse this, you’re going to have 15 cars parked on the road and it is already bad, add another 15 cars if you refuse this car park it’s going to be horrendous."

Cllr Roger Hayes added that if the proposal were for a pub, would it have had the same objections.

He pointed out that other car parks had been approved, including on a bendy road at Walker Fold.

Other councillors said that the mosque had been there for two years, with the traffic already there, and the car park would help alleviate traffic issues.

Cllr Emily Mort raised concerns about removal of trees before planning decision and said maybe 'we wouldn't be sat here' if a village green application had been submitted years ago.

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Highways officers maintained that the traffic impact would be “marginal” compared to current volumes and that adequate visibility would be achievable in line with national guidance.

Following debate, the planning committee voted to approve the plans.

The site, which was formerly Chew Moor Methodist Church, will now be redeveloped to provide the car park for worshippers, aiming to relieve pressure on nearby residential streets during peak prayer times.