THE development of the former Horwich Loco Works is of ‘vital strategic importance to Bolton’ to avoid the need to build on green belt land, councillors have heard.

The comments were made as Bolton Council’s planning committee unanimously approved plans for 116 housing association homes at the heart of the former works.

However, the committee heard objections on heritage grounds about the affordable housing scheme at Rivington Chase, the 187-acre brownfield site of the former Horwich Loco Works.

The developers said the homes will provide affordable housing for up to 385 people with a combination of family houses and apartments in two four-storey blocks that total 116 residential units.

The site is being developed by Lane End Group for two social housing providers, Bolton at Home and Irwell Valley Homes.

The four-storey apartments are split into two blocks either side of a central corridor, while the houses are arranged in terraced blocks of four to five to recreate the appearance of the former Loco Works, first opened in 1886.

Key artefacts relating to the site’s history and heritage will be displayed within the development as an additional tribute.

Objecting to the plans at the meeting, Stuart Whittle, chairman, Horwich Heritage, said: “Affordable housing is, of course, to be commended as part of the housing mix at Rivington Chase, but it doesn’t have to be here, it could be on any site surrounding the heritage core – whereas there is only one area allocated on the master plan for community facilities and this is it. y.”

Committee member Cllr Nick Peel stressed the importance to the borough’s housing supply of the development.

He said: “This site is of massive strategic importance to the borough as a whole.

“Alongside Bolton town centre it takes up the bulk of the government-required housing targets for this borough.

“We can’t have it both ways if we start to resist in whatever manner sites like this then on your heads be it when green belt gets gobbled up which it surely will.”