A three-storey block of 20 flats could be built at the former site of a church hall.

Plans have been submitted in the last week to build the block of one-bedroom flats on the site of the former Deane Memorial Hall on Junction Road in Bolton.

The site is next the The Vulcan Inn pub.

The memorial hall was built in 1934 to take the place of the Old Church House to serve as a meeting place for the social organisations of the parish.

The hall had remained vacant for more than a decade before being demolished in 2020 following arson attacks that had left the structure in a weakened and dilapidated state.

The now cleared site is within Deane village conservation area which around two miles south west of Bolton town centre. It also sits next to St Mary’s Church and its large church yard and cemetery.

A design and access statement with the plans, said: “The location has been carefully chosen to have minimal impact on the surrounding buildings. “The apartment block will be set back from Junction Road.

“The setback design from The Vulcan Inn ensures that there is adequate separation between the pub and the residential development, minimising any noise or disturbance that might arise from the pub’s operation.

“This separation ensures that both the pub and the residential development can coexist harmoniously without either negatively impacting the other.

“Proposals would see the erection a new 2.5 storey building which houses 20 one-bed residential apartments with associated parking.

“The development has been designed to have reduced impact to the conservation area with the use of traditional materials, scales and proportions.” The applicant, Fortune Properties UK Ltd, said the council had a clear strategy to make as much use as possible of previously-developed or ‘brownfield’ land.

The application, concluded: “The site is sustainably located with public transport services on A676 Wigan Road, it has been identified as being suitable for residential development. “Development of this site will help the local authority meet targets set out in its housing delivery plan.”