The latest attempt to build a house on Gren Belt land at Shepherds Drive in Horwich is being opposed by Ward Councillor, Richard Silvester.

It is the fifth time that a planning application has been submitted to Bolton Council for a house at the location since 2016. A previous planning application with the same proposals was refused in March of this year and thirteen objections were received by the Planning Department.

The previous application was refused on the grounds that it represented inappropriate development within the Green Belt and that the applicant had not provided any evidence of very special circumstances that development should take place, to outweigh the harm caused. It was also concluded that the proposal was contrary to Bolton’s Allocations Plan as well as Section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Richard said, ‘I have objected to all of the previous planning applications to build a house at this site on Shepherds Drive because it is Green Belt land. The application site has been controversial with local residents over the years and I have supported them with their concerns against such development. I am hopeful that this latest proposal will be refused because nothing has changed since the last application earlier this year and there are no very special circumstances to build a house here within the Green Belt. I have always promised my residents across Horwich North East Ward that I will object to building in the Green Belt because it needs to be protected and I am keeping faithfully to my word’.