A TRAVELLING showmen’s site in Westhoughton has applied for permission to make the camp a permanent fixture.

The site, Tall Trees in Slack Lane, will contain caravans, an HGV, a maintenance building, lighting and three fairground rides, if Bolton Council grants planning permission.

Westhoughton Town Council unanimously recommended the application be refused at a meeting.

The site already has temporary planning permission, but members raised concerns that the new plans were larger than what is currently there, will further erode green belt land and set a precedent for future housing developments to be plotted for the land.

Cllr Christopher Peacock, borough councillor for Westhoughton North and Chew Moor, said: “It is very difficult to refuse it on the current grounds, as they are already there.

“But there is more going into this application than currently exists and I would move refusal on the basis that it would be getting too large.

“It is also green belt land which is highly sought after by developers.

“It would be harder to stop housing being put elsewhere on the site.”

The site is gated off, and Cllr David Wilkinson, for Hoskers and Hart Common, said the problem of finding sites for travellers is one for Bolton Council to solve and is not Westhoughton’s concern.

Cllr Wilkinson said: “I was assured by them that this would not be permanent, only temporary. This is part of Ditch’s Farm site and there have been many other applications on this land that have been refused.”

He said: “There is other land in this area and I fear that if this is approved there will be countless follow-up applications for permanent developments.”

The application will now be decided by Bolton Council’s planning department.

The application was submitted by William Harrison of Slack Lane through agents Michael Hargreaves Planning of Cambridge. The agents were unavailable for comment.