A plan to turn the vicarage to Grade-II listed St Chad's Church into 18 apartments is up for consideration in Tonge Fold.

The applicant, who is a resident of the area, applied for planning permission for the site on Tonge Fold Road last month.

The plan is to turn the vicarage to Grade-II listed St Chad's Church into 18 apartments by razing it and replacing it with a part two-storey, part-three storey building.

The application said the proposal would be a big boost to housing supply while a Heritage Statement attached to the application said it would have no adverse impact on the setting of the vicarage, which is of "no architectural interest" and "minimal historic interest", or on the setting of the church on the other side of Longworth Street.

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The Heritage Statement, by Jenny Wetton Conservation, said: "This part of the setting has changed considerably since the construction of the church, particularly since the later 20th century. It was positioned at the edge of the built-up area with an allotment and a farm to the west.

"Although the campanile [tower] of the church still acts as something of a landmark, due to the degree of later development, it is much less visible within the streetscape than it was at its construction. Overall, the new development on the site is considered to conserve the setting of the listed building and to meet the local planning guidance."

The Bolton News: The site on Tonge Fold Road

The applicant is understood to be willing to make a contribution towards the church tower at St Chad's Church if the application is approved by the council.

The Historic England Heritage at Risk register suggests there are a number of cracks in the church tower and St Chad's Church is a target for heritage crime.

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It was threatened by closure for this reason and a number of other reasons almost a decade ago but it was saved after a campaign by the community and other groups including Age UK and Slimming World.

A consultation is open on the Bolton Council planning portal and the deadline for a decision by the authorities is in May.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.