Rock Hall Moses Gate Country Park Hall Lane Farnworth BL4 7QE Data via plota.co.uk

00394/26 - Full Planning Permission Approved

Proposal

Change of use of grade II listed building to café with exhibition, events, workshop and office spaces together with demolition of existing two storey rear extension and erection of new three storey rear extension with roof terrace and basement, landscaping works and associated restoration works to building including installation of front door, timber sash windows and heat pump system Data via plota.co.uk

Track application Save this application and get an email when its status or decision changes. Alerts nearby Get email alerts for new planning applications near this address.

View original council record ↗Last checked 24 Aug 2026, 22:44

Application progress

✓

Received

4 Mar 2026

✓

Validated

11 Mar 2026

✓

Consultation

8 Jun 2026

✓

Committee

9 Jul 2026

✓

Approved

14 Aug 2026

Approved on 14 Aug 2026 · Committee Decision · Last checked 19 Aug 2026

Planning committee

Decided by Bolton Planning Committee on 9 Jul 2026.

Approved

As officers recommended.

Officers advised approval because the public benefits outweighed Green Belt and heritage harm, subject to conditions.
No statutory or non-statutory consultees objected, and no third-party representations were received.

Read how the committee decided The proposal, site history, officers’ assessment, consultation, planning balance, vote and decision.

Source: Plota analysis of Bolton's committee minutes of 9 Jul 2026.

Documents 148

Decision & officer reports 3

PDF Decision Notice Decision · 14 Aug 2026 View ↗ PDF Officer Report Officer Report · 1 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Committee report Other · 1 Jul 2026 View ↗

Statements & assessments 21

PDF PRELIMINARY ECOLOGICAL APPRAISAL Ecological Assessment · 8 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF Energy and Carbon Proforma Other · 19 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Energy and Carbon Proforma Other · 19 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF CARBON & ENERGY STATEMENT Other · 19 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Pollution control noise Consultee Comment · 12 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Bat Survey Report Ecological Assessment · 8 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Ecological Assessment · 8 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF Response to heritage comments Other · 21 May 2026 View ↗ PDF . Flood Risk Team. Consultee Comment · 23 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT Application Submission Details · 12 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF DRAINAGE PLAN Amended Drawing · 11 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF BNG METRIC Application Submission Details · 5 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF PLANNING STATEMENT Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT 01 Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT 02 Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT 03 Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT 04 Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF ARBORICULTURAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF BNG REPORT Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF PRELIMINARY ECOLOGY APPRAISAL Application Submission Details · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗

Plans & drawings 97

PDF Commenter’s name hidden Show Other · 12 Mar 2026 View ↗

Application forms 1

PDF APPLICATION FORM REDACTED Application Form · 4 Mar 2026 View ↗

Consultation & comments 14

Site constraints 3

Local nature reserve about 137 m away: Moses Gate

Work nearby can need a habitats assessment.

Harm to a protected site is only accepted where there is no alternative and an overriding public interest.

Also on the record

Inside the Farnworth built-up area; Air quality management area about 66 m away: Bolton AQMA.

Not affected

Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 11 September 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Work with planning data?

Every application in Bolton - and every UK council - as a live feed, an API, or a bulk CSV export.

About Plota's data service

Nearby new applications

24 Sept 2026Pending

53 Bridgeman Street Bolton BL4 7PR

CERTIFICATE OF LAWFULNESS EXISTING (S191) FOR CONTINUED USE OF HMO (CLASS C4)

01749/26

1 Jul 2026Pending

19 - 29 Egerton Street Bolton BL4 7LB

CHANGE OF USE FROM VEHICLE SERVICING TO HMO FOR 6NO. OCCUPANTS

01205/26

24 Jun 2026Refused

19 - 29 Egerton Street Bolton BL4 7LB

CHANGE OF USE FROM FROM VEHICLE SERVICE CENTRE TO FORM A 7NO. BED HMO TOGETHER W...

01166/26

3 Jul 2026Pending

2 Norfolk Drive Bolton BL4 7JS

JOINT PLANNING APPLICATION FOR THE ERECTION OF A FIRST FLOOR REAR EXTENSION AT 2...

01239/26

6 Jul 2026Refused

19 - 29 Egerton Street Bolton BL4 7LB

RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF USE TO CREATE 3 NO. SELF CONTAINED STUDI...

01250/26

Important details

Council: Bolton
Application type: Full Planning Permission
Postcode: BL4 7QE
Received: 4 Mar 2026
Validated: 11 Mar 2026
Ward: Farnworth North
Case officer: Show
Target decision: 6 May 2026
Decision: Approve subject to conditions
Decision date: 14 Aug 2026
Decision level: Committee Decision
Applicant: Show
Agent: Buttress

How this decision compares

Decided in 156 days from validation, 100 days slower than Bolton's median of 56 for changes of use. Approved, as 59% of changes of use here are.

This one156d

Council56d

UK56d

60%decided within 8 weeks

59%approved

100decided in the last year

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Bolton in the last twelve months, from validation. Bolton decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

63 neighbours consulted · Last counted 19 Aug 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference: PP-14270306
Neighbours: 12 Mar 2026
Consultation: 8 Jun 2026
Comments by: 9 Jun 2026
Site or press notice: 12 Mar 2026
Committee: 9 Jul 2026
Env. assessment: No

Historical activity at this location

2 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2024 Approved

10 Hall Lane Bolton BL4 7QE

ERECTION OF A PART TWO STOREY/PART SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION AT REAR ALONG WITH NEW WINDOWS

19187/24 23 Dec 2024

2023 Approved

71 Hall Lane Farnworth Bolton BL4 7QE

CERTIFICATE OF LAWFUL DEVELOPMENT (S192) FOR THE PROPOSED CONVERSION OF EXISTING PROPERTY…

16309/23 18 Jul 2023

Bolton

Planning Authority Score

2.5/10

Poor

#250 of 296 councils

Relevant to this application:

Change of use

Bolton is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #229 out of 296. Bolton is also one of the strictest councils - it refuses more householder applications than almost any other, with only 83% approved vs 90% nationally.

One of the strictest councils

only 83% approved vs 90% nationally

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance

Bolton decision statistics

Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026

79%

Overall approval rate

Below avg (87%) #263 of 296

83%

Householder approved

Below avg (90%) #259 of 296

51%

Decided in 8 weeks

Below avg (63%) #229 of 296

44%

Extended time limit

Above avg (41%) #175 of 296

63%

Minor dwellings approved

70 decided (1-9 homes)

83%

Major dwellings approved

12 decided (10+ homes)

62%

Change of use approved

113 decided

996

Total decisions

208 refused in the year to March 2026

Rock Hall Moses Gate Country Park Hall Lane Farnworth BL4 7QE Data via plota.co.uk

Proposal

Application progress

Planning committee

Documents 148

Decision & officer reports 3

Statements & assessments 21

Plans & drawings 97

Application forms 1

Consultation & comments 14

Other documents 12

Site constraints 3

Nearby new applications

Important details

How this decision compares

Public comments

Consultation & key dates

Nearby activity