PLANNING councillors yesterday turned down a massive Westhoughton housing scheme . . . for a second time.

They refused permission for Redrow homes to build 183 homes at Edges Farm off Leigh Road at Daisy Hill.

Councillors were warned by planning officers that it could be difficult to defend the decision at a public inquiry because the land was earmarked for housing on development plans.

But they turned it down because they said that the roads in the area could not cope with the extra traffic. An earlier application was also turned down in October.

Westhoughton Labour Cllr Peter Finch, vice chairman of Bolton's planning control sub committee said: "Enough is enough as far as housebuilding is concerned in Westhoughton.

"The roads cannot cope with the houses which are already there without us allowing any more."

He said that the delay in the Westhoughton, Wigan and Hindley by-pass, the A5225, until the next century had made him determined not to give the go ahead to this scheme. "The officers told us we would lose when we turned down the Bowlands Hey scheme in Westhoughton . . . but the Government inspector backed our decision.

"Anyway, with the delay in the A5225, it is now a different situation from when the unitary development plan for the area was agreed."

Liberal Democrat Westhoughton Cllr David Wilkinson added: "There has been an explosion of house building in this area in recent years and I don't think we should allow any more."

Meanwhile, councillors deferred a decision on another controversial application for 217 homes on the Sweetloves Reservoir site at Astley Bridge until some technical details of the scheme had been sorted out.

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