Update 11th February 2009:

Consultation Event
Carnegie Hall (Westhoughton Town Hall)
on Monday, 16th February - 1:30 to 6;30pm.

Representatives from Lidl will be on hand to show the plans for the proposed new supermarket and discuss the planning application with Westhoughton shoppers. It is expected that the planning application will be lodged in the next few weeks: the planning process will take 2-3 months, and if successful, following a 15-week build process, the new Lidl could be up and running by November this year.

Earlier plans were shown to residents who live adjacent to the site, and to Cllr. David Chadwick, Chairman of SWAN (the matter discussed at the last meeting - 10/2). There are concerns from neighbours regarding traffic, particularly with a school nearby, disturbance within a residential area (light, noise) and the scale of the store
(it will be slightly larger than the Co-op on Pavilion Square). It was felt by SWAN that provided the phasing isn't changed on the Greenfields lights that the traffic impact should not be too adverse: traffic congestion issues, once Sainsbury's is in place, will be a different matter with an extra set of lights on Cricketers Way and pinch points at the lights at the Market Street/Wigan Road and Market Street/Mill Street road junctions.

We understand that the parents dropping off school children can use the store's car park; articulated lorry deliveries are 1-2 per day; the store will open 7 days a week 8am-8pm, with limited opening on Sunday; lighting and signage is switched off once the store closes. According to the Lidl spokesman their product offering is complimentary to local stores (e.g., continental products and pre-packaged items); one of their aims is to keep shoppers in Westhoughton. Sounds good in theory!

Update 29th January 2009: The arrival of Lidl was discussed at a recent SWAN meeting (20/1/09). Notwithstanding the disappointment of the loss of the socially important Greenfields Private Members Club*, it was felt that provided traffic issues and the concerns of nearby neighbours are addressed - we would not be against the development as it would bring more choice and new product offers to shoppers, it could help boost trade around the Red Lion end of Market Street and will provide needed additional town centre parking.

As with the Sainsbury's development (220), claims regarding the amount of jobs created (20-40) tend to get exaggerated at the planning stage.

Update 19th January 2009: It is now confirmed that the Greenfileds site has been purchased by German
'low-cost' supermarket chain Lidl, who it seems outbid Aldi. Lidl have contacted local residents and interested parties including SWAN regarding their plans and the company's vision. A formal consultation with an open day is to take place shortly.

December update: On Friday, 12th December 2008 Greenfields Private Members Club put on its last show as loyal members got the chance to say goodbye and share a few memories. The club was packed, the mood a mixture of sadness and resignation. Having provided a social and community venue for over 20 years under present management, Greenfields finally closed its doors. Its loss will be felt by many in the community.

Strangely, the status of the site is still clased as 'Awaiting Decision' on Bolton Council's planning website. If it has not been officially approved, how can the building be demolished?

The collection of souvenirs and memorabilia was auctioned off, and now the club awaits the bulldozers - perhaps a cynical ploy by the developers to make sure that the club cannot be resurrected.

We await the much anticipated surfacing of the formal planning application for the new Aldi Lidi supermarket. It is obvious that discussions are taking place to smooth its progress. The likelihood is that the new low cost German operator will have its shelves filled and tills ringing well before Sainsbury’s appearance.

Whilst there will be some concerns about traffic, the general consensus, not withstanding the loss of what was an important community focal point, is that the development would be welcomed by local people.

As for a replacement social amenity, there is a feeling that Westhoughton needs such a facility. An 'improved' Carnegie Hall are could be the answer, or perhaps something else. Talk of doing something with space the market hall is perhaps a non-starter given the cost of actually providing a suitable, general purpose leisure facility. We can't help but feeling that the planners have let Westhoughton down again.

August update: Following the Planning Application approval in March, it soon became apparent that there were problems with this purely speculative housing application. For Bellway the timing couldn't have been worse given the collapsing housing market, and Bellway's perilous balance sheet (the share price had been tumbling): like many builders in this speculative bubble, landbanking had taken its toll, with write-downs necessary. Additionally, there were legal niggles regarding the land (covenants and ransom strips). In the end the deal with Bellway fell through. To those observing the property market since August 2007, it was pretty obvious this was more about money than meeting housing need: a pity the planning system failed to recognise this to the detriment of the community.

Whilst the club is being run down, and has lost members due to the uncertainty, it remains open. It is understood that low cost supermarket Aldi have expressed and interest in the site, and whilst there has been some unseemly kite-flying from local politicians who should know better, there is as yet no formal planning application. Watch this space…

In the interim there have been calls for need for community space and facilities. A pity some of the Sainsbury's money (£1m for the covenant) couldn't be used to aquire and turn Greenfields into a community/social venue (something along the lines of Hindley's Monaco Club).

Update: 7th March 2008 - Planning Application 79069/07 was 'approved'* 6/3/08.

Voting as follows: FOR - 11 (Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors); AGAINST - 9 (Labour councillors). Note, the Labour councillors would have accepted a housing scheme on the site. The vote, as seems to happen, was political. Westhoughton councillor David Wilkinson (Lib Dem) 'declared an interest' (being "a member of the club" and being "known to the owner") and took no part in the debate, thus Westhoughton and the members of the club found themselves unrepresented in the Greenfields debate

* (Final) decision delegated to the Director (of Development and Regeneration).

SWAN Object to Greenfields Apartments Scheme

Councillor David Chadwick's objection on behalf of SWAN:

I wish to object to this proposal on the following grounds:

1. This is a four-storey development and is out of keeping with the character of the surrounding area of mainly ground floor and first floor homes.
2. The location will lead to an increase in traffic on a very, very busy main road (A58) with an increase already taking place as a result of the Sainsbury's Supermarket development.
3. Although this is a brownfield site the car park is an artificially created brownfield site.
4. Bolton has an annual target to build 470 new houses for the whole Borough. In the last seven years Bolton has averaged 640 dwellings per annum or a total of 4531. Go North West state that the number should not be higher over a long period of time.
5. Bolton has granted permission for 5250, this represents 11 years of building supply. Many of the completed apartments in Westhoughton have not been sold or let. No more should be built until the existing supply has been taken up.
6. The proposed development is not affordable housing and do not contribute to the needs of first time buyers.
7. Yet again more housing is being proposed without a commensurate improvement in the infrastructure. The PCT have stated that the section 106 money provided by the Metal Box Development for the provision of a doctor's surgery is considered too little to allow for any health improvements.
8. The development has too few parking spaces per dwelling at 1 per apartment.
9. Bolton MBC currently has 5600 vacant or empty properties, the equivalent to another 11 years dwellings.

Reader’s letter: Popular Westhoughton Social Club’s future to be decided

I am dismayed to see a planning application for another apartment block in Westhoughton. The application confidently proposes a "beneficial redevelopment of a redundant, previously developed site… "

Is it that grotspot former cinema on Market Street? No, it’s the Greenfields Private Members Club on Wigan Road, which though a little tatty on the outside, is a
well-used, lively social venue, in good order inside and well appreciated by locals.

Indeed, the membership of the club is getting on for 300. In the busy cabaret room there is live entertainment on a Saturday and Sunday with different acts each week; there is dancing on a Thursday, bingo three nights a week, regular quiz nights. A smaller cabaret room upstairs can be and is hired for parties and charity events. And in a separate room there are two full-size snooker tables.

It’s home for Westhoughton snooker and domino teams, a local HQ for the British Legion whose memorabilia adorn the walls. The club is also used by local community groups for meetings and social events.

Hardly "redundant," is it? It is a fantastic little club. A family club where everyone knows everyone else and even strangers are welcomed, serving a more mature crowd but particularly those that like to be entertained and are not catered for on Market Street.

In short, Greenfields is a little gem that would be a huge loss to the town if allowed to be re-developed.

Whilst I can understand the owner’s desire to cash in on the site believing that Bolton’s giddy housing development will continue (his previous club was re-developed as housing, now Green Meadows), the problem is that this is not a derelict brownfield site, this is opportunistic brownfield creation.

There is no property shortage in Westhoughton; in recent decades it has become the most over-developed part of Bolton, bringing with it problems with traffic congestion, over-crowded trains, over-stretched services and a shortage of community facilities. Indeed, Bolton’s adopted UDP has planning targets exceeded by 100% (i.e., 11 years supply with a 5-year start deadline)… House sales are faltering, flats are lying empty, building societies are homing in on defaulting buy-to-letters... The need for this development is extremely questionable, and will be more so as the UK economy cools as predicted. Yet the need for the social cohesion and joie de vivre that a club like Greenfields gives is patently obvious.

I’m greatly concerned that Bolton Planning Dept. is encouraging this kind of brownfield creation, when if such a scheme wasn’t seen as fair game, the owner, if unhappy, would try to sell the business as a going concern – I’m sure there would be takers.

I would hope that the people of Westhoughton show their displeasure at not only yet more unjustified development, but also at a further chipping away at Westhoughton’s community assets – at its soul. Westhoughton Town Council has objected to this scheme. I hope that this time Bolton Councillors voting on this scheme on Thursday (6th March), look at the bigger picture, listen to and put the people of Westhoughton before speculative property development. (Perhaps the members should get down to Greenfields on a Saturday night to see for themselves.) Planning is not just about bricks and mortar it’s also about communities and quality of life – or it should be!