Quarry firm wins appeal against demolition order on ‘logistical hub’ built on green belt without permission

A quarry firm has won its appeal to keep a lorry maintenance building, service road and a huge hardstanding area after building them without planning permission.

Last year, Armstrongs Aggregates Ltd was ordered by Bolton Council to demolish the ‘logistical hub’ for their Montcliffe and Pilkington quarries operation close to George’s Lane, Horwich.

The company said at the time the entire quarry operation and more than 200 jobs were at risk if they were forced to pull down the area.

READ MORE:Motorway fully shut due to overturned lorry amid Storm Franklin chaos - latest updates

Around three years ago, Armstrongs built offices, lorry maintenance sheds, a HGV parking area, a petrol pump and walls on land to the west of Makinson Lane, Horwich between Montcliffe and Pilkington quarries.

Last April, a meeting of Bolton’s planning committee heard the hardstanding area and buildings were constructed partially outside the permitted mining footprint, on green belt land known as Marden’s Farm.

They refused a retrospective planning application for the site and later issued enforcement notices ordering the firm to pull down the development.

At the meeting, Armstrongs said the reason that the work was carried out without planning permission was due to ‘a mistake or misunderstanding’ on where the boundaries were for permitted development of the quarry site.

On June 30, Bolton Council issued an enforcement notice which gave the firm 120 days to demolish the affected buildings and rip up the hardstanding.

Armstrongs appealed the enforcement notice and earlier this month, the Planning Inspectorate ruled in their favour, overturning the decision made by Bolton councillors.

In his published appeal decision, inspector John Braithwaite, said: