A DEVELOPMENT company whose plans for Weir village were turned down is intending to submit a new application.

The Wordsworth Corporation, from Cheshire, wanted to develop Irwell Springs, off Heald Lane for large detached houses.

Planners refused the scheme because it went against Government guidelines for density of housing and available transport systems.

Now company secretary Martin Hulme said: "We are having an architect draw up a new scheme for the site with more houses per hectare.

"At some time we are also going to have a meeting with council members who turned down our application and went against the planning officers recommendations, to see if there is anything they are not happy on.

"If we don't get satisfaction when we have the meeting with them, we will be also putting it in for appeal."

Chairman of Weir Lodges and Wildlife Trust, John Glendinning said the organisation was seeking to have the area redesignated in the current review of the district local plan.

It is currently a brown field site designated for housing, the Trust is seeking to have it reclassified as green land and have its wildlife and woodland value acknowledged.

One of the Trust's main concerns was the effect on traffic a further development in the village would cause. Mr Glendinning said: "If more houses were built on that site the traffic impact on Heald Lane would be even worse."