PLANNING chiefs have hit back at claims that the council is not doing enough to protect Bolton's "green" land.

The Campaign For The Protection of Rural England has issued a statement which says that one three of the North-west's open green field sites is under threat from housing.

They say that in Bolton there are 9,800 homes planned for the period 1996-2016.

Of these, 3,430 or 35pc will be built on green field sites and 6,370 are on brown field sites which is 65pc.

They say this is despite the Government's planning guidelines that new homes should be built on brown field sites.

But Bolton's planning chiefs said that the figures are outdated and green field sites -- such as Bowlands Hey and Lee Hall at Westhoughton -- have been taken out of Bolton's new unitary development plan which will guide all planning in the town over the next decade.

Mr Paul Goodman, head of policy and transport planning, said: "There have been 2,850 new houses built since 1996 and 80pc of these are on brown field sites. "The new UDP has removed green field sites for housing use.

"We are happy that we are moving along with the Government's policy guidelines and we are doing all we can to protect green field sites."

The CPRE has been angered by the Government's recent announcement that 43,000 new homes should be built in the South-east.

They had said that there were opportunities for urban renewal on brown sites in the region.

But they were angered by figures which showed that one in three new homes in the North-west were planned on green field sites.

The CPRE'S Regional Policy Officer in the North-west Jonathan Sear said: "The North West Regional Assembly must radically improve its policies if it is to deliver on promises to minimise green field development and prioritise urban renaissance.

"The current proposals will lead to the destruction of valued countryside in every community in North-west England."

Their report shows that in some areas such as Warrington, 60 pc of new homes are planned on green field sites.

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