A three-storey block of flats and 16 houses will be built on the site of a former primary school.

Plans have been approved this week for the 40-home development on the former St Osmund’s RC Primary School on Blenheim Road in Breightmet.

The site, around 50 metres from Leverhulme Park, has been vacant since 2008, when the school buildings were demolished.

Planners at Bolton Council have this week approved the plans by Bellmac Developments.

A previous application for 52 dwellings on the site was refused by the council in 2008 and an appeal was then dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate.

The plans include a three-storey apartment block, 18 with one bedroom and six with two bedrooms.

Elsewhere on the site 10 semi-detached red brick homes and a terrace of six town-houses will be built.

An officer report on the plans, said: “The application site is allocated as housing land.

“It is considered that the proposed layout, scale and appearance of the development is compatible with the character and appearance of the surrounding area.”

The report added that 36btrees along the boundaries with Blenheim Road, St Osmunds Drive, Breightmet Drive and St Osmund’s RC Church were protected by a tree preservation order.

It stated that some tree loss would be necessary for the development, however these are category C trees and the council’s tree officers have raised no objection.

Replacement tree planting was proposed and this would be secured via a planning condition

The former playground of the primary school is still visible within the northern part of the site and occupies about a third of the area.

This area is around four metres lower than neighbouring Breightmet Drive and is separated from the road by a steep grassed embankment.

Prior to approval seven letters of objection were received by the council.

Among th concerns were ‘the apartments are not in keeping with the area’; increase in traffic’; ‘insufficient parking provision’ and ‘pedestrian safety’.

Other concerns by neighbours contained within the report included ‘loss of trees; ‘the properties all being for rent’ and concerns about the types of tenant and possible devaluation of neighbouring houses.