PLANS to build up to 50 homes on a former hospital site were thrown out amid concerns about traffic links to the development.

Bolton Council had received 166 objections to the scheme for the former Fall Birch Hospital site in Horwich.

Around 25 people attended a Bolton Council planning committee meeting to protest about the proposals, which they believed would mean traffic chaos and endanger lives in nearby narrow streets.

Developer Wainhomes wanted to demolish a house in Blandford Rise, a cul-de-sac, to provide a route on to the estate.

Speaking on the residents' behalf, Mike Platt, of Blandford Rise, said: "The proposal is out of keeping with the rest of the estate.

"The answer is surely to limit the development to an appropriate number of properties."

Mr Platt said access to the estate from Chorley New Road was already hazardous and that extra traffic would worsen the situation.

However, Wainhomes' agent Paul Sedgwick said: "This is under-utilised, previously developed urban land.

"We get blocked at every turn by the local authority who are not looking to support the development."

Mr Sedgwick said three separate applications with road access from either Blandford Rise or Fall Birch Road had been turned down.

He warned that if houses were not built on the land, it could be used for a remand centre or a residential college.

Mr Sedgwick said: "If we don't get it for residential, that housing will be built elsewhere and we all know that will put pressure on the greenbelt."

Councillors agreed with officers' recommendations that road safety in the area would be prejudiced if the development went ahead.

Managers at the Royal Bolton Hospital have been hoping to raise £4.5 million through the sale of the site.