Bolton: Decision made on plan to turn Chew Moor's ‘informal village green’ into mosque car park

There were 70 objections and 33 submissions of support for the proposal to create of privately owned car park with 19 car spaces for the former Chew Moor Methodist Church, St John’s Road.

For the past two years, the building has been used as a mosque, a change which did not require planning permission as that activity continues its use as a place of worship.

Planning reports said the proposals would result in the loss of an area of unprotected green space.

The area had been used for decades as an ‘informal village green’, however, the meeting heard the land is in private ownership and therefore there were no permitted rights of access to the public.

The report said: “The application site is located to the north of the former Chew Moor Methodist Church. The use of the building remains as a place of worship for a different faith group.

“The area is unprotected green space on the west side of St John’s Road and has been used as an informal village green maintained by the previous occupants of the building.”

Coun Ann Galloway spoke against the plans. She said: “I will be voting to oppose this predominantly on traffic safety grounds which are apparent to anyone who travels through Chew Moor village at peak times.

“The officer’s report states that the car park will not have an impact on the character and appearance of the area. The green was a major feature of the village for generations.

“It had a lawn, it had trees, flower beds and benches and more recently the village Christmas tree. It was actually landscaped by the council even though it was owned by the Methodist church and now the mosque.

“The council maintained it on an informal basis until taken up by the villagers. To suggest that this car park because it has an open aspect does not have a negative impact is just wrong.

“Chew Moor only has 400 homes but St John’s Road which runs through it is absolutely congested at peak times.”

Chew Moor resident John Martindale addressed the committee on behalf of objectors.

He said: “Chew Moor is blighted by a busy road that runs through the village that has become a rat run for traffic from Bolton to Westhoughton.

“At peak times congestion backs up from the A6 through the village. St John’s Road contains a blind bend only 25 metres from the development.

“The community’s principle concern relates to the highway safety of this site.”

The council also received 33 letters of support of the plans.

Chartered town planner Alban Cassidy addressed the meeting on behalf of the applicants.

He said that the mosque was used for daily prayers for around ‘four or five’ people at a time, and Friday prayers, held in the early afternoon, were expected to attract around 15 to 20 worshippers.

He said: “In an effort to minimise the impact of the use of this facility my client has put together this application to provide off street parking. There is no current off street parking.

“It seems logical to use the land immediately adjacent to the church to provide these car parking spaces. There are no objections from the consultees, including and in particular, from highways.

“They have looked at this in detail and they’ve assessed the traffic conditions are not such that there would be any harm to highways safety from this development.”

The meeting heard that as part of the plans, double yellow lines would be placed on the church side of the road for 25 metres either side of the new car park access point.

The committee voted 12 votes to four to approve the plans.

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