A PETITION urging Bolton Council to reject plans for 300 new homes in Westhoughton has attracted more than 1,000 signatures online.

Now Bolton West MP Julie Hilling has joined the campaign against the new housing development at Lee Hall, between Platt Lane and Manchester Road.

Developers Persimmon Homes have yet to submit a formal planning application for the site, but opponents have argued if built, it would lead to more cars and ‘chaos’ on local roads.

Westhoughton councillor Christopher Peacock set up the petition and said he is ‘absolutely delighted’ with the response the ‘#NoLeeHall300’ campaign had received.

He said: “We also have approximately 100 more signatures on a hard copy, and it really shows the strength of feeling about this particularl development.

“We will wait and see the developers plans, but unless there are substantial changes the thoughts of people in Westhoughton are pretty clear.

“It is a really inappropriate development for Westhoughton.

“The design is atrocious, particularly the entrance and exits – one leads onto Platt Lane, which is already packed at peak hours and isn’t designed for heavy traffic, and another goes straight onto Chequerbent roundabout which is already one of the busiest roundabouts in the borough.

“To think you can put 300 homes in that area is naive.”

The developers have argued the Lee Hall site provides an opportunity to contribute to the “acknowledged under-supply of new homes in the borough”, describing it as a “logical and sustainable location”.

Included in the outline plans is a new children’s play area and public open space, plus a corridor of “safeguarded land”, which is intended to protect a route for a potential future link road between Westhoughton and Atherton.

Ms Hilling MP said there are fundamental provisions lacking in the plans, while Lee Hall has not been included in Bolton Council’s allocation plan for new housing.

She said: “These proposals make no adequate provision for the increase in the number of cars which will add to Westhoughton’s already packed roads.

“We all accept the need to build more homes and Bolton councillors have done a good job in allocating the necessary land across the borough.”

She added: added “The plans do not address issues such as schools for the children of the families who will live there nor do they address access to a GP that adding 300 new families to Westhoughton will have.”

You can sign the petition here.