NICE design, wrong location!

That's what Bury Council's planning department thought of new proposals to build a dozen new flats on land at Frenchville Court in Bury.

Although the development site is an area of unused, overgrown land at the rear of terraced offices in Knowsley Street, the land has been earmarked for office development only.

However, in a report to the planning control sub-committee, principal planning officer Mr John Hodkinson described the proposed development as "workable and the design is appropriate." The access and parking arrangements were also considered acceptable.

However, he added: "The main issue is that the site is specifically allocated for office development in the Unitary Development Plan and flat development would be contrary to that."

Bury's Economic Development Unit supported a demand for office accommodation at the location.

Members of the planning committee voted in line with a recommendation to refuse planning permission for the flats which would have been contained in a three-storey block.