MOVES have been made to protect a new school site in Horwich from housing.

Developers William Hargreaves want to build 11 houses and 20 bungalows on land off Greenstone Avenue, Horwich.

But it includes part of a site which has been set aside for a replacement building for St Catherine's School.

A plan which was presented to councillors said that part of the site would be built on, but if the school ever went ahead, another piece of land nearby would be used for a playing field.

But Horwich Liberal Democrat Cllr Bob Ronson is calling for the land to be protected as a school site in the unitary development plan which guides all development in the area.

Cllr Jack Foster, chairman of Bolton's planning and environment committee, said: "The land is protected. The developer has bought this extra piece of land which the school can use and this sounds a very generous offer to me.

"But in order for the school to go ahead, we have to have the money to build it and at the moment, I can't see any time in the foreseeable future when it will happen."

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