Residents fear develpoment in Bolton countryside
COUNTRYSIDE residents fear that developers are waiting to move in.
Signs have gone up in the Chew Moor and Westhoughton areas of Bolton advertising accommodation land for sale.
Within three weeks, sold' banners have been displayed across many of the signs, promoting 13 separate plots of open space being sold by PWC Surveyors. Pensioner Denis Kirkman lives in St John's Road, Chew Moor. One of signs has been erected on land next to his home. He said: "My concern is that these are plots of building land. It wouldn't be the first time we've seen scope for development on local greenbelt."
Accommodation land is defined by the Estates Gazette Dictionary as "land which, while having potential for development with buildings, is meanwhile put to temporary use".
Signs have also been put up on land in Pocket Nook and between Snydale Way and Chew Moor Road. Developers are accused of flooding the local area with new properties.
Westhoughton North and Chew Moor cllr Pat Allen said: "The signs went up all of a sudden and I've been inundated with calls from concerned residents."
A spokesman for PWC Surveyors said: "This is to be used as amenity
land, be it extending a garden or for keeping livestock. It is a way for
residents to control the land around their properties. If it had been
earmarked for development or had planning permission attached, we'd be
marketing it along those lines."
theboltonnews.co.uk, 19.06.2007