RESIDENTS campaigning to save much-loved trees from a new housing development in Great Lever have been given a reprieve.

About 200 residents living in Bridgeman Street and Gregson Field signed a petition calling for councillors to reject an application to build 16 new houses in land at Clarendon Street, adjacent to the old school.

The new housing development would mean the loss of 50 trees and green space, which is regularly used by local children and neighbours.

But yesterday councillors voted to defer making a decision on the application, made by Great Places Housing Group, to see whether the application could be moved to the empty site of the former Clarendon Primary School — or whether that land could be turned into green space for residents.

After the old school building was demolished following a huge fire in July, Bolton Council had said the site would be retained as open space for residents.

Bridgeman Street resident Margaret Jones attended the meeting of the planning committee to speak against the application.

The 67-year-old former council care home manager told The Bolton News: “When they decided around 30 years ago they wanted more green space in the area, they planted a line of trees and it is really nice to walk down.

“The local children love to run through them and play there. We don’t want houses. It was nice to walk down with a bit of greenery, and these are big beautiful trees.

“We don’t want to lose them — all around them is terraced housing, and we’ll be really hemmed in if all we have is housing around us. We need these trees.

“It’s a deprived area already, it just feels like they are taking more away from us.”

Great Places want to build 16 two-storey terraced or mews style properties, which would look out onto Clarendon Street, split between two and three bed properties.

Cllr Cliff Morris, leader of Bolton Council, asked members to support his move for deferral while other options for the development were considered.

He said: “It is always difficult to look at the level of housing against green areas.

“This was a row of terraced houses once, so it isn’t green belt.

“The school at the end of the street has been pulled down, and there could be green space for local people there.

“I will take this issue away and speak to officers.

“We have got to get more housing around there, there is no point in saying differently, but whether we could build some on the school and keep green area is something I will look into.

“But we do need more social housing.”