FIVE luxury homes will have to be torn down if planning chiefs refuse a developer’s latest application.

Bolton Council’s planning committee will decide the fate of a controversial development at Grundy Fold Farm, on the outskirts of Horwich, when it meets on Thursday.

If the proposals are refused as per the planning officer’s recommendation Sparkle Developments will have to begin demolition of the homes within six months.

An application from Sparkle Developments seeking retrospective permission for the scheme "as built" was thrown out last June.

And planning officers say that, while amended, the development now being proposed does not lessen the impact on the the "openness of the green belt".

Neither do they consider there to be any special circumstances which would allow the homes to stand.

However, the council has received 37 letters of support for the development - including from the owners of three of the homes.

These claim that the houses have "enhanced the appearance of the area," "look fantastic," and are a "great improvement to what was there previously."

But objections to the new plans include concerns they do not differ "fundamentally" from the one already refused and that the development is out of character with the surrounding area.

Other letters received from Horwich and Smithills residents says the homes are an "eyesore which can be seen from miles away" and "dominate the skyline and open moorland backdrop".

Horwich North East councillor Richard Silvester has also registered his objection to the proposals, on the grounds four of the five dwellings would still be larger in size relative to those originally approved.

He says the proposals would “spoil the character and appearance of the area and the openness of the Green Belt, and would be completely inappropriate”.

The homes have already been sold and the new owners of one plot have told the council they are “devastated at the prospect of having their dream home demolished due to no fault of their own.”

And Sparkle Developments claim they have suffered “serious financial losses” as a result of the continuing planning saga.

But campaigners and councillors say they have “no sympathy” for the firm.

Former Mayor of Horwich Steve Rock said: “They knowingly took the decision to amend the plans without permission, they offered the houses for sale based on plans that hadn’t been approved, and now they must suffer the consequences of those decisions.

“Anything less would be a slap in the face for planning legislation in this country.

“To allow this site to be built in any way counter to the original plans laid out in August, 2014 would give a green light for greedy housing developers to ignore planning regulations.”

And party colleague Cllr Douglas Bagnall, who represents Smithills, blasted Sparkle Developments for their handling of the matter.

He said: “This has been a controversial build from the outset. The developers put a plan forward for approval and then decided to ignore the plan entirely, confident that they could get retrospective-permission."

He continued: “This isn’t affordable housing that people desperately need. These are houses that only an elite few will ever be able to own, built by a greedy developer looking to make as much money as possible. Anything other than returning the site to its original planned form would be a slap in the face to the council, the law and the community as a whole.”

The planning officer's report says that, under the new proposals, the homes "continue to be spread out from the central core of the site, where the former buildings once stood," resulting in a suburban rather than rural character — "and certainly not one of an intimate former farmstead."

They mansions also judged to be "out of scale" with nearby properties in Scant Row, Chorley Old Road and also at odds with the surrounding agricultural setting."

The report adds that:" The built extent of development has been increased dramatically from what it was previously when it was a former farm complex, with the built development encroaching into previously unbuilt parts of the site."

The recommendation before the committee says Sparkle Developments and council officers are now at "an impasse, mainly as the applicant has been insistent throughout the life of this application that their submitted proposals are acceptable in green belt terms. The acceptable compromise members hoped to see achieve achieve has not been reached."

It adds: As the applicant is adamant that their proposed development is not inappropriate development in the green belt they have not submitted any very special circumstances to weigh in favour of the development.

"This has resulted in the built extent of the development having been increased dramatically from what it was previously when it was a former farm complex, with the proposed built development encroaching into previously unbuilt parts of the application site."

If the proposals are refused as per the planning officer’s recommendation Sparkle Developments will have to begin demolition of the homes within six months.

However, if the committee goes against the officer's recommendation, and approves the new scheme it will be referred to the Secretary of State for a final decision.

The Bolton News requested a comment from Sparkle Developments.