CONTROVERSIAL proposals to build 140 new homes at a site also earmarked for a new Bolton Wanderers football academy go before town planners this week.

Outline plans have been submitted by housing developers Garfield Bennett Trustees Ltd, based in Jersey, to build homes on land off Lostock Lane and Ox Hey Lane.

The proposals, to be discussed at Horwich Town Council on Thursday, form part of an overall plan for a new football academy, training pitches, houses and an industrial and warehouse development.

But residents say they were not consulted about the new application.

Roy Walmsley, chairman of the Lostock Residents Group, said the council had promised to set up a liaison committee involving residents but had so far failed to do so.

He also said that - added to other planning applications in the town for houses at the Chortex Mill, Swallowfield Hotel and Victoria Road sites - this would add up to more than 450 new homes in the area.

"Things are getting out of control at the moment. It looks like there could be 450 new homes going up in a short space of time and I'm not sure the area can put up with the extra cars. We'll finish up with gridlock indefinitely," said Mr Walmsley.

Michael Greenhalgh, chairman of the Lostock Residents' Association, said he hoped the liaison committee would have been set up by now and added: "There are parking problems on that road on match days and people are concerned about the plans."

Initial blueprints for the land were put forward in 2002 by Bolton Wanderers and the site's owners Bolton Council and developers First Industrial.

Planning conditions that were laid down at the time of the original outline application in 2002 still have to be complied with.

These include no development until Lostock Sports Club has been relocated and no development started until a new access had been provided for Greenhalghs Bakery, taking traffic away from residential areas.

Neither can any of the proposed houses be occupied until the playing fields for the planned sports academy have been laid out.

In all, there were more than 30 conditions.

A council spokesman said the council was happy to arrange a liaison meeting to bring people up to date and that letters have gone to people living near to the proposed site and the details have been advertised and discussed at Horwich Town Council.

Bolton Wanderers have continued to express an interest in the site but say this new application has nothing to do with them.