A DEVELOPER has admitted that a second "super estate" IS being planned in Westhoughton.

Bellway homes will be putting in a planning application next month for "a substantial part" of the Bowlands Hey site, off Wigan Road.

They have not specified how many homes would be built, but it is generally acknowledged that the whole of the site would be more than 1,000 houses.

The news is bound to create uproar in Westhoughton, where a major campaign has already been launched to fight proposals for a 1,100-home estate at Lee Hall, off Park Road.

The BEN had tried for a week to contact Bellway Homes to find out what is going on until the company sent a fax saying they are currently preparing a planning application together with a master plan showing how "the balance of land could be developed in a number of phases."

The statement says that the land is allocated for housing on the Bolton unitary development plan. This is a planning blueprint which all applications are judged against.

It also points out that the land at Lee Hall has no such allocation for development.

The statement continues: "It is the view of Bellway Homes Limited and its professional advisors that the proposed development of Lee Hall would be contrary to the policies of the development plan.

"With the land already allocated at Bowlands Hey for housing, with infra-structure in place, and with much of the land being controlled by a major housebuilder, there is simply no need for more housing at Lee Hall."

Westhoughton town councillor David Wilkinson said: "I can't believe the cheek of this - a developer saying there is too much house building. "For once, I am lost for words. But this does confirm what we have feared all along and it seems we are going to be very busy in Westhoughton over the next few months opposing this and Lee Hall.

"The battle starts here."

Bolton Council's planning and environment chairman Cllr Jack Foster said today that he was unaware of the planned development.

But he added: "There's already been a public inquiry into Bowlands Hey and the government inspector said that any development there would be premature.

"Obviously we would look at any application on its merits, but we would be unlikely to fly in the face of the inspector."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.