PLANNING councillors have given the go-ahead for homes to be built on the former Bolton Royal Infirmary site.

They approved an application from Manchester-based Oakland house Development for the land off Chorley New Road.

Council chiefs see the scheme as in-keeping with their plans to encourage more people to live near the town centre.

Councillors gave outline planning permission which approved the principle of housing.

This application replaced a detailed scheme which had been submitted for 85 terraced houses, 34 semi detached homes and 24 flats.

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