Bolton council's planning committee has granted permission to convert a long-abandoned garage next to a historic mill chimney into a one-bedroom home. The application concerned a garage building to the rear of the 280-foot-high Barrow Bridge chimney.
This month's application was a resubmission of one refused in July last year. The council had previously argued the development would result in an unacceptable loss of trees and that insufficient information was provided about its impact on the setting of the Grade II listed Barrow Bridge chimney.
Green Belt and Heritage Considerations
Planning officers concluded the application was suitable for green belt because it reused an existing building and had no heritage impact on the chimney. The committee heard this assessment before making its decision.
Ward councillor Roger Hayes asked members to reject the application, stating the garage "hasn't been used for 30 years" due to difficulty accessing it. He said: "I ask you to refuse on the grounds of inadequate access, unacceptable impact on highways safety, inappropriate development in the green belt and negative impact on a heritage asset."
Objections and Approval
Hayes added: "On access, I've lived in the area for 30 years, I pass the site nearly every day and I've never seen a car try to access it. It's an abandoned garage because the access is so difficult. It is dangerous." He noted previous refusals in 1988, 2002, 2024 and 2025, asking the committee to refuse again.
A supporter of the scheme addressed the meeting on behalf of the applicant, saying: "We worked with planning officers to make sure that all relevant policies have been covered and adhered to. I urge members to back the findings of the officers' report and approve."
A majority of councillors voted to approve the plans.
