A FAMILY returned home from holiday to discover council plans to demolish their business -- and replace it with a CAR PARK.

The 20-year-old garden centre is being threatened under the scheme to create car parking at the neighbouring Westhoughton railway station.

Owners Don and Barbara Darby, who run the centre on land rented from Bolton Council, with their 39-year-old son, Simon, have been left devastated to discover their livelihood now hangs in the balance.

Westhoughton town councillors are recommending the plan to build the 150-space car park. If the scheme is approved, 86 of the car parking spaces will be on the garden centre site.

Mr and Mrs Darby have spent thousands of pounds developing the centre and now fear the years of investment could be bulldozed under a town council-approved plan submitted by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive

Mr Darby said the scheme has left his family "devastated".

He said: "To make matters worse, the letter of notification came to our home while we were in Cyprus. On the day it arrived, the scheme was discussed without our knowledge at Westhoughton Town Council."

When the family returned from their holiday, they discovered all their neighbouring businesses and friends knew about the plans ahead of them.

Mr Darby added: "We are both very upset, we just did not know anything about it.

"We do not think such a big car park is needed. My son and I have been monitoring how many people use the train service and all live within walking distance of the station anyway."

Westhoughton council leader Cllr David Wilkinson has also criticised the scheme.

He said: "I am very concerned about the way the council has dealt with this. It is council-owned land -- you would think as landlords they would have treated Mr Darby better."

Bolton's planning chiefs will visit the site before a final decision is made.