PLANS to turn a fire-damaged and badly vandalised old Chorley hall into housing went before councillors this week.

Runshaw Hall, a Grade II Listed building, has already got the go-ahead to be transformed into a hotel.

Chorley's planning committee, which met on Monday, discussed a proposal to convert the Runshaw Hall Lane building in Euxton into nine homes, with its stable block turned into a further five and 19 more houses built at the tree-fringed site which is surrounded by open land.

However, the committee heard that while the renovation of the hall, which has also been used as a restaurant and institution in the past, is generally welcomed, there is some concern over the new housing development.

The county planning officer says the erection of new buildings would be against green belt policy unless there were special circumstances.

South Ribble Borough Council feels the buildings should be related to the former floorspace and the loss of trees minimised.

Euxton Parish Council, members of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, a neighbouring farmer and three Leyland residents, also object over the green belt issue.

The applicant, Ruttle Contracting Ltd, intends developing eight new homes to form a new north west wing; four houses on a former car park to the south west and seven terraced houses to complement the existing stables outbuilding.

The committee was told the plan might be more acceptable if the four semi-detached homes were dropped. However the developer feels they are appropriate and financially necessary.

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