NEIGHBOURS are “dumbfounded” by a developer’s decision not to ditch its plans for three new apartment blocks near the hospital despite 51 objections.

Plans to build the four-storey blocks on a disused railway line off Minerva Road, next to the Royal Bolton Hospital, were first revealed two years ago.

This led to an action group of residents forming in opposition to the proposals, which feature a mix of two-bedroom and shared accommodation apartments.

Following dozens of objections, a petition and delays in the planning process, residents were hoping that the developer would pull the plug on the plans.

But the application will go before the planning committee for a vote on Thursday with a recommendation for approval from council officers.

Harper Green councillor Sue Haworth said residents are “extremely shocked”.

She said a large number of residents in Farnworth feel “very strongly” that this type of shared housing proposed would be “completely wrong” for the area.

In addition to this, Cllr Haworth said Kingsland Road residents are worried about the new flats overlooking their properties and invading their privacy.

She said: “The applicant has revised the placing of the four-storey blocks to reduce overlook and privacy invasion to homes with gardens at Kingsland Road.

“But alas, it profoundly changes things for many residents who have lived in these homes here for many years.

“They are still faced with extreme change to view and overlook from four storeys at the back of their homes.

“Quite simply, this is over-development and utterly wrong in scale and size.”

Developer Dorbcrest Homes has amended the application since it was first submitted in June 2018.

It now wants to build 12 two-bedroom apartments and 18 five-bedroom shared multiple occupancy units taking the total number of bedrooms to 90.

It is hoped that future residents of the dwellings will be hospital staff or students attending the forthcoming £30m Bolton College of Medical Science.

But Peter Brabin, who lives nearby in Boscobel Road and is part of the action group, says that residents are still “strongly opposed” to the development.

He said: “It’s the type of people that they’re going to get in there. Outside the hospital as well.

“If they’ve got people who have drug problems, it’s going to cause problems at the hospital security-wise.

“The siting of it is wrong. I think it’s absolutely stupid.

“It’s alright if it’s going to be hospital staff. That would be fine.

“But then again, you’ve still got the people in Kingsland Road who feel overlooked.”

Cllr Haworth is due to speak at the virtual meeting on Thursday.

She added: “To find this house of multiple occupancy (HMO) and flats application continuing is dumb founding residents because the roads here are already heavy with traffic with excessive tailbacks for start and finish times at the NHS site and at the secondary school at Minerva Road.

“The HMO and flats application is for a minimum 116 persons. That is a lot of extra traffic to add to the roads here and is a nightmare scenario.

“We must do all that we can to protect the access and egress for NHS staff and for patients at this site that serves the whole of the borough.”

The meeting is on Thursday at 2pm and will be broadcast online. To watch it visit www.bolton.gov.uk and look for the link at the top of the website.