PLANS to find a new home for Bolton Road Sports Club have been put back before the council - only weeks after it rejected the move.

The sports club and developers Wainhomes have submitted revised plans for the land near Dow Lane in Bury, with access from Elton Vale Road.

Bury Council initially gave its blessing to the use of the site as a new home for the sports club, only for members of the planning control sub-committee to reject the plans, against the advice of planning officers, at its March meeting.

The sub-committee said the access to the site off Wadebridge Road would cause too many traffic problems after a furore from residents of the Ainsworth Chase estate.

Mr Alan Fletcher, general secretary of the sports club, said: "The new access to the Dow Lane site will eliminate the traffic fears of Ainsworth Chase residents and the future of Bolton Road Sports Club will be guaranteed."

The club must move from its current site, its home for three quarters of a century, because the landlords, Bolton Road Methodist Church, want to sell the land for housing.

They will use the proceeds to pay for a new church and community building, also on the current sports club site, to replace the existing building which is riddled with dry rot.

The club, church and developers Wainhomes identified a site in Ainsworth, but that was thrown out after local opposition. An appeal against the refusal is set to be heard in July, although the applicants are pressing for the appeal against the refusal in March over the Dow Lane site to be heard first.

The new site, near to Chantlers CP School, was identified earlier this year. The council's land and economic development sub-committee gave its blessing, but once again residents voiced opposition to the move.

Mr Fletcher said the future of the club was "very limited" on the current site.

The new plans are expected to go before the planning control sub-committee on June 4.

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