Bolton signs off 142 houses, schools

Harworth Group’s plans to build 142 homes off Stopes Road were approved at Bolton Council’s planning committee last Thursday, alongside a trio of educational facilities off Freshfield Avenue and Armadale Road.

Land off Stopes Road

Application number: 14759/22

Seddon will build 142 houses on the 15-acre plot on behalf of Harworth Group, following the green light from councillors.

Designed by DGL Associates, the scheme will deliver a mix of detached, semi-detached, and terrace houses.

Plans feature 47 two-, 80 three-, and 15 four-bedroom properties, of which 21 will be affordable.

Each home will be provided with two off-street car parking spaces.

The site was formerly occupied by Tarmac Building Materials and actively used for the manufacture and storage of concrete blocks until 2021.

Harworth purchased the land in 2020 and has removed any machinery and manufacturing infrastructure.

The developer was granted outline consent for 132 homes on the same site in June 2021.

The application was subsequently referred to the Secretary of State due to two acres of the plot involved in the development sitting within the Green Belt. However, this part of the site will be undeveloped and retained as open space.

Revised plans were submitted in November.

Satplan is the planning consultant for the scheme. Also on the project team is landscape architect Trevor Bridge Associates, arboricultural and ecology consultant Tyler Grange, and transport consultant Vectos.

Hydrock is advising on flood risk and drainage strategy.

Land off Freshfield Avenue

Application number: 16027/23

The 10,400 sq ft facility will sit on a wider 16-acre Green Belt site currently under construction to deliver the permanent Kings Leadership Academy.

The temporary building will be built on what will become a multi-use games area to serve the school’s September 2023 intake due to construction delays.

Featuring seven classrooms, a dining hall, and admin space, the teaching block will accommodate one school year, with the rest of King’s Leadership’s pupils already at an existing temporary site off Lever Edge Lane.

Teachers and pupils will also be provided with 14 car parking spaces.

Plans were approved despite the site’s Green Belt status, as officers ruled the impact to be limited and temporary.

It is estimated that the temporary building will only be needed until April 2024, when construction on Kings Leadership Academy is due to be completed and the temporary facility will be removed.

Kings Leadership Academy was granted planning permission in April 2021 for the 46,000 sq ft Freshfield Avenue school, which will allow an increase in capacity from 540 to 900 pupils.

Cushman & Wakefield is the planning consultant for the scheme.

Rumworth School

Application number: 15853/23 and 16113/23

Rumworth School can now extend its services and build an additional 12,400 sq ft building on its existing premises off Armadale Road.

Cassidy + Ashton submitted the plans on behalf of Bolton Council to increase the SEN school’s capacity from 240 to 370 pupils. Rumworth School is currently operating “significantly over capacity” with 330 pupils enrolled, according to a council report.

Eric Wright Construction will build the new two-storey teaching block, built alongside the 41,500 sq ft facility already on site.

The building will provide an additional 14 classrooms, four resource spaces, and two group rooms, as well as an office.

Reconfiguration of the car park will also provide an additional two car parking spaces, making a total of 46 bays.

Members of the project team include noise consultant Red Acoustics and civil and structural engineer Booth King Partnership.

Also approved at Thursday’s planning meeting was a temporary 3,600 sq ft teaching block at Rumworth School, which will provide additional classroom space while the permanent facility is under construction.