Egerton: Work stops on house in Barnfield Close, Egerton

Since 2019, seven planning applications and three appeals have been submitted to the council related to the building of a new house on Barnfield Close in Egerton. 

The house was earmarked for development in the garden of an existing property on the street. 

Following four rejections, construction of a two bedroom house, down from an initially planned three bedrooms, was passed through on appeal in 2022.

Building work on the property had got underway.

Planning enforcement are now involved.

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “We are aware of issues relating to a development in the Egerton area.

“Our Planning Enforcement team is engaging with those involved, following the appropriate process in line with national guidelines.”

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It has just been a complete nightmare. The wall in front of the house, they call it the 'Great Wall of Egerton'.

"It started building this year out of breezeblock, but they need to change it to Cheshire brick to match the other properties."

The resident said: "We've objected because we don't agree, but they don't like it. We have contacted enforcement."

One of the landowners, who is also a contractor at the site, spoke to The Bolton News about the development.

In relation to using breezeblocks instead of Cheshire brick, he said: "Everybody is rendering their house. Multiple houses on the street have had rendering done because the weather is awful up here.

"The wall has been done in Cheshire brick, but we want to do the house in render. We're not just matching it here on Barnfield Close, because it is registered as a Cox Green Road address.

The new wall at the end of the street, with the beginnings of the new house behind it (Image: Newsquest)

"We have got to match it here and match it with houses on Cox Green Road."

He continued: "We have been through planning to say we are altering it. We have stopped building now, we have stopped until we know what we are doing."

He denied that planning enforcement had told them to stop building. 

He added: "People just don't want that house there, but everybody has the right to build a house on their own property.

"We are trying to build it and trying to do it right, and we are being harassed because we want to build it in the garden which we have planning for."