Popular Italian restaurant plans rooftop terrace for up to 36 diners

An Italian restaurant is planning to extend its premises including a rooftop terrace overlooking the West Pennine moors.

Bolton Council’s planning committee will decide next week whether the Il Toro restaurant, Church Street, Horwich, can build a rear extension with a balcony terrace for up to 36 diners. The restaurant is a detached stone, 19th century two-storey building and is within the Wallsuches Conservation Area.

Horwich Parish CE Primary School is next to the restaurant with classroom windows facing its rear car park. A public footpath leads down to Bridge Street between the restaurant and the school.

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A previous similar application was refused due to potential harmful impact on noise and privacy. An officer report on the current plans said there was no noise assessment submitted with the earlier application.

The current proposal is supported by a noise assessment that concludes there would be no adverse noise impact on neighbouring properties arising from the external seating area. The report, said: “The proposed scheme proposes the use of the external balcony for 36 covers maximum and the supporting noise assessment demonstrates that there would no adverse noise disturbance.

“The balcony would also conceal some unsightly extensions to the rear. “It is considered that there would be no harmful impact from overlooking given the long distances to neighbouring properties and woodland screening at the rear.”

Four letters have been received by the council objecting to the proposal on the grounds the new terrace would have direct views into classrooms at Horwich Parish CE Primary School, the impact of dust and noise from construction