Sports bar set for industrial estate in Greater Manchester town

A huge new sports bar employing up to 40 people has been granted planning permission on an industrial estate north of Bolton. Bolton council’s planning committee has approved plans for ‘Smashley’s Sports Bar’ to occupy adjoining units at Dunscar Business Park, Blackburn Road.

The plans also include the restoration and relocation at the bar of the former ‘Samuels’ clock, previously located above the jewellery store on Deansgate, a town centre feature many Boltonians will remember.

A meeting of the planning committee heard the proposed hours of opening would be until midnight and 10pm on Sundays. The committee heard the business ‘will create employment for up to 40 people’.

The business park is on the site of the former Victorian built Bleachworks Mill and other occupiers are primarily light industrial. Documents in support of the plans submitted by applicant Smashley’s Ltd, said the park has car parking for 140 vehicles and the majoritof visits to the new bar would be outside office hours.

Bolton Council received 15 letters of objection to the plans citing concerns about previous hospitality businesses on the estate, noise, traffic and anti-social behaviour. Neighbour Bernard Denver addressed the committee, opposing the plans.

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He said: “Me and my neighbours are very concerned about this development because history tells us it has a great impact on the families and children and older people in the immediate area. There have been two previous operators in this estate of a similar nature.

“Our experience of those has been quite frankly, very bad. The amount of noise and traffic, particularly at weekends will be very, very high.

“This will be one significant development