Bolton backs Bromley Cross development
The council is to support proposals to redevelop an area of Green Belt north of Bolton town centre into a Lidl supermarket, apartments for the elderly, and football pitches, before they are sent to the housing minister for final approval.
Lidl UK is also seeking permission to demolish buildings associated with the former Hollands Nurseries garden centre and create a 91-space commuter car park at the 27-acre site, which is located close to Bromley Cross train station.
The park and ride car park will be built in addition to the 125 spaces associated with the supermarket and aims to reduce the amount of on-street parking in the area around the station.
In total the scheme will comprise:
- A 12,000 sq ft Lidl food store with 125-space car park
- 43 retirement apartments within a three-storey block
- Football pitches to be used by Bromley Cross Football Club
- A 91-space park and ride facility
Lidl first submitted the plans in December 2019 and they will go before the planning committee at a meeting on Thursday.
While the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will have the final say on Lidl’s proposals, Bolton Council’s planning officers have backed the scheme.
Officers consider that, while the proposed development as a whole constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt, the benefits associated with the development “clearly outweigh the harm that has been recognised”, according to a report.
Objectors raised concerns about the location of the proposed supermarket and the subsequent impact it might have on retail within the centre of Bromley Cross.
However, the officers’ report said there were no sequentially preferable sites for the proposed Lidl supermarket and the development “would not have a harmful impact on… the vitality and viability of the centre”.
HTC Architects designed the scheme and Rapleys is the planning consultant.
Are they planning to build new roads?! Tonge Moor Road and Blackburn Road are a nightmare now and this will only create more chaos! They obviously don’t live in or around the village.
By Ann
More green belt lost to commercial folly. A supermarket is not needed in Bromley Cross, more housing or football pitches. The infrastructure in the area will not cope and with continue the transformation of major roads into more dangerous ‘rat-runs’ – so yes, great idea to add some elderly residents into the mix. They will surely be penned in either by cars to-ing and fro-ing from the football pitches, supermarket or train station. With the added delight of passing trains. This is not the space for this kind of development. It’s green belt….but who listens to the people of Bromley Cross.
By Anna
There are only three roads leading in/out of Bromley Cross.Turton Road,Blackburn Road and Chapeltown Road are a nightmare with traffic at the best of times,obviously not much planning has gone into this development.The planning department at Bolton Council are not fit for purpose.
By jack marsden
We need to talk about green belt. It is not virgin rainforest which is being ‘lost’. It mostly consists of inaccessible biodiversity deserts, polluting waterways with fertilisers and pesticides. GB prevents expansion of settlements, nothing more.
By Anonymous
Wonderful idea at long last.
This should have been done years ago.
I do live in the area and have heard all the reasons for not developing the land.
All reasons are flawed and backward thinking.
By Aidan pearce
As a resident of Bromley Cross I wholeheartedly agree with this development. It will in fact enhance our area and create further employment
By Ann Griffiths
Nice plan for our community
By Moureen Asiimwe
I live near the centre of Manchester; there are precious few parks and it already takes about an hour to reach wide open green space by bicycle or public transport. The green belt may not be wilderness, but it is incredibly important for the wellbeing of urban and suburban residents. Once developed, it will never again be green, pushing the countryside even further from society’s least wealthy.
It’s particularly offensive to consider developing it with schemes based entirely around cars and car parking.
By W
There are already a Co-op and a Sainsbury’s on the village. Is it really necessary to have another supermarket? I think low cost or social housing and sports facilities would be of more use to the village.
By Beryl Walne
There is actually a lot of biodiversty in and around this site..wild flowers, and deer included. Seems like they purposely churned a large portion of it years ago to make it inaccessable. Plenty of brown field sites that could be used elsewhere. As a resident of Bromley Cross, i think its ill thought out.
By Karen Beauduce
If this is kept behind mature shrubs it would prserve the view for letting local residents and compliment the specials school in same are, would be very nice to have it so close too.
By Sue Sharpe
@W
Where do you live? If you live near the city centre centre you can cycle to Heaton Park or Sale Water Park within 30 mins depending on your location, two of the biggest urban parks of their types.
MCC definitely need to provide substantially more green space though, especially in the city centre.
By Anonymous
Not sure you can live near the centre of many big cities and expect ‘wide open green space’ to be that nearby, but Manchester must be towards the top of the list. Daisy Nook (National Trust) and Reddish Vale are managable on a bike for example, whilst Longdendale Trail (via Hadfield) or Disley/Marple (on edge of a national park) are both around 30 mins on train. The Cheshire plain in the other direction.
That’s on top of Heaton Park and Sale Water Park/Mersey Valley as already mentioned.
Manchester could certainly do with more city centre parks (one coming at Mayfield) but get out of town even a bit and it’s pretty well provided for (Alexandra Park, Platt Fields, Phillips Park, Longford Park to name a few).
By Green Spaced