RESIDENTS are fighting to stop the height of a new housing development rising by four feet.

Planning bosses have issued an order to workers at the Lostock Junction building site to stop work after neighbours claimed that the level of the ground being built on had risen.

Developer Jones homes has since admitted that an increase in height was necessary to overcome problems with underground drains. It has now applied to alter planning conditions.

The planning committee is expected to approve the changes today following advice from council officers, despite letters from more than 50 residents urging them to throw out the bid.

Jones Homes was granted permission to build six town houses and six apartments on the site in 2001.

Roy Walmsley, chairman of the Lostock Residents Group, said the move would cause the new homes to tower over those of their neighbours.

And he called on the developer to invest in a sewerage pumping system to overcome the drainage problem.

Mr Walmsley said: "Why should neighbouring residents have to suffer the long-term effects for the commercial benefit of the developer?

"The developer should comply with the conditions which went with the original planning permission and should be forced to reduce the site to its original levels and install a pumping station.

"Residents should not suffer from unauthorised changes to planning conditions."

The demolition of a warehouse has already been carried out on the site.

Ruth White, a Bolton Council principle planning planning officer, said a pumping station would be impractical.

She said: "This would cause cluttering on the site and would be detrimental to visual amenity in comparison to the increase in the existing ground level."

No-one at Jones Homes was available to comment.