Crunch meeting on plans for ‘Ryder Cup’ golf course and 1,000 new homes lasts just seven minutes
21.01.2022 - 15:38
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A decision on plans to build more than 1,000 homes and a Ryder Cup compatible golf course has been delayed after new documents were lodged at the last minute.
Bolton council’s planning committee gathered, along with more than 50 protesters, at a special meeting at Bolton Town Hall to decide on the highly controversial plans.
However, the meeting lasted just seven minutes with the committee told by chairman Coun John Walsh that a significant amount of new documentation on the plans had been submitted in the prior 24 hours, leaving it ‘inappropriate’ to proceed with the debate and decision.
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Developers Peel want to build an ‘international sports destination’ elite golf course, more than 1,000 homes, a hotel, school and other leisure facilities on the huge Hulton Park Estate.
Councillor Walsh told the committee he was proposing deferment of the meeting after the council received a 38-page document and at least two other submissions in the preceding day.
He said: “You cannot be seen to be doing justice to all of the points made in those documents when so many were received just 24 hours before the vote was taken.
“We must be absolutely transparent and above reproach on this.”
He apologised to those members of the public packing the public gallery and said he acknowledged that many had taken time off work to attend the 2pm meeting.
The committee voted unanimously to defer the decision to a future date.
Committee members Nick Peel and Roger Hayes spoke briefly to support the deferral and sympathise with the wasted time for all those attending.
The plans had received dozens of objections from the public and Westhoughton Town