CONTROVERSIAL plans to build houses on part of Horwich RMI Cricket Club ground have been deferred by town councillors.

The application for 12 houses and a rear access road at land off Ramsbottom Road has attracted opposition from local residents and their views were shared by several councillors at the town planning committee meeting last week.

A separate application for a new cricket pavilion on land at Horwich RMI was supported.

Planning officer Wendy Fox told the meeting that the application for the houses would involve the loss of an area of recreation land which would be contrary to policy for the protection of open spaces.

Other issues are that the houses would be close to an existing noise nuisance at the RMI and loss of trees on the site.

She said a considerable number of objections had been received and the council's environmental health department has objected on the grounds of noise from the club.

One of the residents, Jack Howard, told the meeting that the area had been used for recreation for 100 years. He said local people had gradually seen the erosion of recreation over the years.

"We have lost the football ground and tennis courts to developers. There were two bowling greens but one has been lost," said Mr Howard.

He said the development would involve taking an area of land from the cricket pitch which would move the boundary closer to the wicket with the risk that someone may be hurt by a ball or vehicles damaged.

"It's the thick end of the wedge, the thin edge has already been lost. You wonder how far it is going to go."

Chairman of Horwich RMI Club, Mr Jim Hickey said that the pavilion had suffered from extensive vandalism and the club could no longer cope with the cost of the damage.

He said one of the problems was that the building was isolated and despite alarms and regular policing, they could not stop the problem.

One of the solutions was to build on the site and to build a new state-of the-art pavilion on the other side of the ground.

He said it was a continual struggle for the club and if the plans went ahead it would be wonderful. He said he had not received any written complaints from environmental health about noise.

Cllr Ernie Morris said he was concerned that the ground was becoming smaller.

"We are squeezing down that bit of ground in the centre of Horwich. We've lost the football field which was a big loss. I share the views of the residents."

Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said while he understood the economics of the situation he would rather the club investigated alternative sources of funding rather than the building of houses on the land.

"I support the building of the pavilion but not the dwellings. If the two go together I would rather the pavilion stayed where it was," he added.

Cllr Barbara Ronson moved that the application be deferred. She said that there had been other complaints about the state of the land and the pavilion and it would be sensible to look at things more closely.

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