Grundy Fold Farm : Partially built mansions razed to the ground

In May 2021, five partially-built mansions were ordered to be bulldozed despite desperate pleas from the homeowners to the planning inspector.

Inspectors decided to give a deadline of May 18, 2022, for all the mansions to be demolished.

It comes as the detached mansions at Grundy Fold Farm, off Chorley New Road, were built up to a third bigger and in different locations than specified on the original plans.

Cllr Andy Morgan said: “Four of the five houses have now come down.

"It's the right thing to do.

“And there are two applications for individual plots to be built with slight alterations.

“The intent is to rebuild them and save so much materials, brick by brick.”

Plot 2 now demolished

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “We will of course continue to monitor the site in the coming weeks to ensure that the requirements of the enforcement notice are complied with in full.”

The council is currently reviewing two planning applications, one for plot 4 which has been demolished, and the former farmhouse, plot 5.

The architects, Neil Pike Architects, who drew up the original plans for the site issued new plans for plot 4 in November 2021.

Richard Pike at the Bolton-based architects said: “The original architects, Neil Pike Architects, have submitted plans for proposed amendments to Plot 4 of Grundy Fold Farm.

“This has been the subject of pre-application advice with the Local Authority and would ensure the development conforms with planning policy.”

The applicant, Hasan Ayirgan, has applied for a variation on the original plans for the farmhouse element, and he intends to use the stone and roof tiles from the demolished house to build in the correct area.

This application is expected to be taken to one of the Committees in March with a recommendation for approval.

Plot 4 has now been demolished

Planning permission was initially granted for the conversion of the former farmhouse and four new homes around a central courtyard in 2014.

That planning permission, which is still in place, is for just for plots 1-3 to be built as originally approved.

The householders have the option of their ‘fall back position’, which is to demolish the existing buildings and rebuild in the correct areas and to the correct size.

Plot 5 originally had permission to alter and extend the former farmhouse there, but this permission was lost when the farmhouse was demolished by the developers, Sparkle.

Gareth Salthouse, of Emery Planning, submitted an application for plot 5 in December 2021, on behalf of Mr and Mrs Thompson, in which he outlined the personal hardship suffered by them, caused by the farm saga.

Plot 5 in mid February

In a letter to planning bosses, Mr Salthouse said: “The proposed development would help to mitigate the severe financial and emotional hardship experienced by the applicants and their family.

“As per the co-joined appeal dealt with earlier this year, the applicants find themselves in this position through no fault of their own and it has resulted in severe personal hardship.”

He added: “The proposed dwelling house is materially the same as the approved farmhouse scheme in terms of its overall built form (the height would be the same and the footprint 3sqm smaller) and it would be sited in a similar position.

“The erection of a single dwelling house would make a positive contribution towards addressing the borough’s significant housing shortfall.

“The council cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.”

A spokesperson for Bolton Council, said: “We are planning to take this to committee in March as well, though at the moment officers are still working on this and the recommendation is still being considered.”

Pictures by Henry Lisowski