Bolton Green Belt land earmarked for 14,000 new homes

Bolton Council says brownfield sites and other available land are “not enough” to meet the borough’s housing needs over the coming years.

It has now proposed removing land from the Green Belt at four locations in its new draft Local Plan.

The biggest change would be around Royal Bolton Hospital, where Green Belt land would form part of the huge Health Innovation Bolton development.

Land would also be released at the Blackrod Employment Cluster, the Logistics North Extension and off The Alders in Tonge Moor.

The proposals come against the backdrop of significant housing pressures in Bolton.

The borough is expected to deliver at least 787 new homes every year, amounting to 15,740 between 2022 and 2042.

Just over 2,000 were delivered in the first three years, leaving a minimum of 13,717 still needed between 2025 and 2042.

There are also 21,479 households currently on Bolton’s housing register, according to the Local Plan.

The council estimates an annual affordable housing shortfall of 2,259 homes, while lower-priced properties cost around £135,000 – roughly 5.6 times the median income of residents.

Faced with those figures, the council officers say they have explored other options before proposing changes to the Green Belt.

It has reassessed brownfield sites, searched for unused and underused land within built-up areas, looked at building at greater densities and asked neighbouring councils whether they could help accommodate Bolton’s needs.

The Local Plan states: “The evidence is clear that the homes Bolton needs over the Plan period cannot be delivered on brownfield and other non-Green Belt sites alone.”

Brownfield development would remain a priority, but the council says many sites are more complicated to develop because of the cost of cleaning up land, viability issues and difficulties assembling sites.

This means some are expected to deliver homes later rather than earlier in the Local Plan period.

The council argues this creates the “exceptional circumstances” needed to alter Green Belt boundaries.

The most significant change would come at Health Innovation Bolton.

Royal Bolton Hospital (Image: Bolton NHS Foundation Trust)

The huge development around Royal Bolton Hospital would include 2,225 homes, a new primary school, health facilities and a major medical research and employment district.

The council says the site needs to be close to the hospital and Bolton Institute of Medical Science, while the homes would also help the borough maintain its required supply of housing land.

The other Green Belt releases are mainly aimed at meeting different development needs.

The Blackrod Employment Cluster, close to Blackrod railway station, would be used for new industrial and warehousing development, with a new vehicle access from Blackrod Bypass Road.

Green Belt land near Blackrod railway station earmarked for employment development. (Image: Google Maps)

The council says the site could bring new jobs to an area of Bolton which has not been a major focus for recent employment development, while its proximity to the railway would make jobs accessible by train.

The Logistics North Extension, near Junction 4 of the M61, would provide between 30,000sqm and 80,000sqm of new industrial and warehousing space.

Green Belt land north of Salford Road (Logistics North Extension) (Image: Google Maps)

Land off The Alders in Tonge Moor would meanwhile be allocated for 45 to 50 plots for Travelling Showpeople.

Green Belt land off The Alders in Tonge, proposed as a site for Travelling Showpeople. (Image: Google Maps)

The plan states around 40 of these would meet the need to relocate people from existing unsuitable plots, while between five and 10 would provide additional plots

Despite proposing the changes, the council describes Bolton’s Green Belt as one of the borough’s “most valued assets”.

It says it plays an important role in stopping towns and villages from merging and directing development towards previously developed land.

The draft plan therefore proposes releasing only land which the council says is needed to meet development requirements that cannot be accommodated elsewhere.

Developers using released Green Belt land would also have to secure improvements to the environmental quality and accessibility of the Green Belt which remains nearby.

Overall, the council has identified land capable of providing around 14,052 homes, slightly more than the minimum 13,717 still required.

Almost 5,000 would come from sites which already have planning permission, while 5,715 would come from major new allocations.

The council also argues that larger developments can bring something smaller housing sites often cannot – enough land and funding for new schools, healthcare facilities, transport improvements and green spaces.

The proposals form part of the draft Bolton Local Plan and do not themselves grant planning permission for development.