A BLOCK of flats can be built on the car park of a restaurant in Westhoughton.

Bolton Council's planning committee meeting has approved proposals to build 18 apartments on land at the side of La Scala restaurant on Chorley Road.

A new car park will be created to serve the restaurant on land where a detached house once stood.

Residents and anti-development groups in Westhoughton had complained that nearby roads would be left choked with parked cars because the restaurant had lost parking space.

The proposals passed by the committee had been revised to reduce the number of apartments and provide 22 parking spaces after the plans had been initially rejected.

Cllr David Wilkinson, who represents the Westhoughton ward, said: "Previously the plans were unacceptable but after being revised they came within all planning criteria and there was no way they could have been refused.

"We listened carefully to the objections but to refuse the plans again and lose on appeal would have been costly."