Bolton: Firm built offices and demolished buildings without permission

In May this year, council planning enforcement officers visited the compound operated by DP Cold Planing Limited at the Burnden Works, Burnden Road, documents published by the local authority confirm.

During the visit, they found a number of planning breaches including a new two-storey office building, the demolition of previous buildings and the formation of a new car park – all of which had not gone through the planning process.

The compound, close to St Peter’s Way, is part of a large commercial site known as "Burnden Works".

An aerial view of the site next to St Peter's Way with the DP Cold Planing site bordered in red

The area houses a number of different business. DP Cold Planing, who operate a large fleet of road planer vehicles, tipper wagons and road sweepers, occupy the eastern part of the Burnden Works site covering around 40 per cent of the total area.

The compound was previously used as an asphalt processing plant owned by Pure Asphalt Ltd who stopped using it in 2016.

The site lay empty for four years until it was purchased by DP Cold Planing in September 2020.

A retrospective planning application has been lodged for the work, details of which have been published by the council this week.

A design and access statement said that following purchase of the site, DP Cold Planing tidied it up and demolished a number of existing buildings.

Retaining walls were built to stabilise adjoining banking and new fencing was also installed to the perimeter. Existing hardstandings where broken out to create a large open yard area with a gravel finish.

DS Cold Planing then used the site for storage of vehicles, plant and materials in connection with their business. The report said: “For operational requirements, the business required their main office accommodation on site urgently due to an issue with the lease at their existing premises.

“A two storey modular office building was therefore installed on site December 2021.”

At present, there currently 10 employees working permanently on the Bolton site.

The company employs a total of up to 70 workers and sub-contractors working on various highway projects from Birmingham to Glasgow.

DP Cold Planing’s retrospective application said: “While the various recent works carried out on site have been done so without the required planning approvals, it is not felt that the works have had a negative or detrimental impact, and they can be considered as being appropriate to the established uses on site. In addition, as the new office building is modular, minimal ground works have been carried out.

“Taking all matters in to consideration it is felt it would be acceptable to grant a retrospective planning approval for all works carried out on site to date.”