An amateur football club has spoken out about its "bitter disappointment" after proposals for it to move from Bolton to Radcliffe have been cast in doubt following a planning decision.
Wyresdale AFC is hoping to move from its base off off Inverbeg Drive in Breightmet, Bolton, to land off Radcliffe Moor Road in Radcliffe, which is less than a mile away.
The club, which has three adult teams, struck a deal with developer Westchurch Homes, which would see their old ground in Bolton used for affordable housing in exchange for them moving to a new site.
But at a Bolton Council planning meeting last week, plans to build 94 homes on the Breightmet site, which provoked 142 objections, were refused.
Worries were aired that the move could lead to a lack of playing fields in Bolton and that the development would lead to extra traffic for residents to contend with.
The plans for the new ground in Radcliffe have also been met with opposition.
Residents near and on Radcliffe Moor Road have voiced their objections.
The application has received 78 objections due to the plans extending onto the greenbelt site as well as causing traffic issues due to there already being a country park and a nursing home near the planned site.
One objector said: “I object because this is a Bolton football club, and they should be building on Bolton land and not destroying Radcliffe greenbelt.
“The noise and disruption will be unbearable, these clubs if not sited correctly cause misery to residents.
“They have also started to net the hedges harming birds already even though this has not been approved.
“This land area they are building on is huge and disproportionate to the size of the club.
"It’s just a pathway to build thousands of houses on which is not realised, yet very soon the whole of that side of the road will be built on connecting one town to another, which is why we have the greenbelt in place.”
The club has expressed its disappointment with the Bolton Council planning decision but it still hopeful that the move will go ahead in the future to enable it to have better facilities.
On behalf of Wyresdale Football Club and Westchurch Homes, a spokesperson said: “We are bitterly disappointed with the decision taken by Bolton planning committee last week.
“The whole of the UK has a chronic housing shortage and a desperate need for modern, energy efficient homes which this application would have given to the local area.
“Bolton at Home, the partner who would manage the houses, recently had more than 400 expressions of interest for each home in a nearby development.
"And the club is in desperate need of new facilities to secure its long-term future.
“Committee members ignored the advice of specialists and their own expert representatives.
"The proposal was recommended for approval by officers and should have been passed.
“We are currently considering our options, but it is likely that the decision will be appealed.
“Yes, the two applications are linked but the application for the ground is due to go ahead in July, providing Bury Council processes the application in time.
“We are still very hopeful the applications will be consented, and the club can have their new facility, but this decision will inevitably delay the overall scheme.”
Last week, Bury Council said it was gathering information for the plans as part of the normal application process.
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