VICTORIOUS residents are celebrating winning the first battle in their war to stop a hostel for the homeless being built in their area.

Dozens of residents, including parents and children, confronted planning bosses over the plans when they visited the site of the proposed facility on Baron Street just hours before the councillors were due to make a decision on the controversial application.

And at last Thursday's (June 14) meeting of the planning control sub-committee, council bosses over-ruled planning officers and decided to defer a decision on the plans to allow wider consultation with residents.

A leading campaigner and local parent told the Bury Times: "There were more than 100 people against the plans who turned out for the meeting. We were really pleased with the decision. It really is a victory for people power and we will not let this drop." The protesters insist that they are not against the principle of having a place for the homeless to go for help.

However, they claim that the proposed site in the middle of a quiet residential area surrounded by schools is the "worst possible" location that could have been chosen. The parent, whose children attend St Gabriel's RC High School, which would be near to the proposed hostel, said that she was worried about what sort of people would be housed in the hostel.

"My children have to pass the site on their way to St Gabriel's. How do I know they will not be approached by drug addicts? If this plan does get the go-ahead then I will be looking for a different school for my daughter.

"The world is not a safe place but we should not make it worse by having something like this on our doorsteps," she said. The application to develop an 18-bed direct access hostel, which will also incorporate a block of eight one-bedroomed flats, has been put forward by Manchester Methodist Housing.

Mr Peter Bojar, the company's regeneration manager, stressed that the facility would not house any sex offenders or known drug addicts, but he did admit that it would assist people who needed help to get back into the community.

He said: "All the people who will be referred to the hostel would undergo strict checks and they would be on licence."

Mr Bojar urged residents to get in touch with him over any concerns they had.