Bolton luxury mansions to be demolished in planning row

The homes at Grundy Fold Farm must be torn down and rebuilt to their original plans

Five half-built luxury mansions are to be demolished following a planning dispute.

The homes at Grundy Fold Farm in Bolton had been built up to a third larger than agreed and in areas harming green belt land, an inquiry heard.

An inspector said the owners now had a year to tear them down and rebuild them to the correct specifications.

Bolton Council said the mansions had become a "significant" deviation from their original 2014 designs.

Seven years ago, planning permission was granted for the conversion of a former farmhouse and four new homes at the site.

Developers Sparkle partially constructed the four homes in the wrong locations and with different dimensions than agreed, the inquiry heard.

On Wednesday, Bolton Council argued the structures had also caused harm to green belt land.

Council barrister Ian Ponter said: "The character of the area is scattered farms, individual rural houses and groups of houses clustered into small villages located below the uplands."

He said the original plans were "expressly designed" to be compatible with that pattern.

Killian Garvey, representing the owners, insisted the location of the houses "did not cause significant harm to openness" of the greenbelt.

He also argued the enforcement action to order demolition was not equal to the planning breaches.

An appeal from the owners against the decision was dismissed.

Planning inspector Jason Whitfield dismissed two appeals from the owners, one against the demolition and another to try to overturn a decision on an amended planning application.

Mr Whitfield said due to the "hardship", the decision will have they had an extended period of 12 months to demolish the homes.

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