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Latest pub plan is flatly rejected

Gareth Parker
30/11/2005

COUNCILLORS went against a planning recommendation to crush an outline application to stop a developer from getting a 'foot in the door'.

To rousing applause from campaigning residents, the councillors threw out the plans by Penepa Ltd at a meeting of the Township Planning sub-committee to develop the former Bamford pub.

Rochdale Council planning officer Rob Disney said the previous application for a number of flats and town houses was one of the worst he had ever seen and thought that Penepa had realised this and withdrawn it to re-submit the outline application, just for access to the un-developed site.

Supporting the residents, Councillor Nick Maher said he was concerned that the application was a way the company thought it could get a foot in the door.

He said: "My concern is that if this is passed it would be a foot in the door for the company for a bigger application, which is what the residents don't want.

"They are not opposed to development of the area, as long as the proposals are for properties in keeping with the rest of the area."

The latest application was the third Penepa has submitted, with both previous ones being withdrawn.

The original plan for flats on and around the former Bamford pub site was swapped for an even bigger one for 78 apartments and 25 town houses, which caused an outcry from nearby residents.

Included in the development is land next to The Bamford, occupied by the town's thriving Air Training Corps, which remains a sticking point with 13 years of its lease to run. It does not have to move unless another site is found.

Doreen Brophy-Lee, one of the campaigners, who has lived on neighbouring Clitheroe Close, praised the councillors for their brave decision.

She said: "The councillors who turned the application down showed a lot of courage to go against the recommendation to grant this application.

"I and the rest of the campaigners would like to thank everyone, including the Advertiser, who has highlighted our plight."

Liberal Democrat campaigner, Peter Rush, who has been behind the campaigners, spoke if his delight.

He said: "This was a common sense decision and I'm delighted that our three-month fight has been rewarded. Although the applicant changed its application just for the principle to build housing on the site, we feel that if we had let this application go through, the residents would have had no protection whatsoever."