An expanding high street store could soon be open for up to 24 hours and have the right to sell alcohol.

Home Bargain’s expansion into the vacant next door Morrisons site on Bury Road in Breightmet has been one of the area’s most anticipated shopping developments in recent months.

It has now applied to Bolton Council for a premises licence, giving it the right to sell alcohol, and is set to fully reopening in November.

Cllr Sean Fielding, of Breightmet, said: "I’ve queried this application because, even if it’s not their intention now, it would give Home Bargains the ability to sell alcohol for off sales 24/7, which they could do in the future if their business model changes.

"I’d prefer that an application was submitted to cover their intended opening hours and perhaps an hour or two either side to account for future changes.

Bolton Council will consider the bidBolton Council will consider the bid (Image: Newsquest)

"If Home Bargains doesn’t clarify their position before the consultation end date I’ll be submitting an objection to force them to come before councillors and explain in person."

If approved, the licencing application will give the newly expanded store the right to open for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It will also have the right to sell alcohol for drinking off the premises during that same time.

But in practice, opening times may still be shorter than that.

The Home Bargains has previously been open from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

Home Bargains first announced that it would be expanding into the former Morrisons space last autumn after the supermarket’s closure.

Morrisons had occupied the building since 2011 when it opened on the site of a former Safeways.

Since then, the company has put forward plans about how the expansion will be carried out, including where new signage for the expanded branch will go.

Plans have also been put forward for the front elevation, roof and car parking arrangements.

A Home Bargains spokesperson previously said: “The Bury Road store is due to re-open in November 24.

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“The store will be almost double the original size and will now include a café and an instore bakery.

“We will have an extensive range of chilled, fresh and frozen products, as well as our extensive range of non-food and food items ensuring that we always deliver top brands at bottom prices to our customers.

“We will be looking to recruit in excess of 50 colleagues, ideally all from the local community, with all available roles advertised on our website.”

The most recent licencing application was entered on Tuesday July 23.

Anyone wishing to make representations about it will have to contact Bolton Council’s licencing team in writing by August 20 this year.