DEMOLISHED £1Million mansions could be rebuilt after council chiefs ordered they be flattened for being too big.
Two owners of the five mansions have submitted an application to rebuild the properties near Bolton, Lancs – but only one has been approved.
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The six-bed palatial pads were reduced to a pile of rubble after the final home was razed to the ground this week.
Councillors ordered the demolitions on the West Pennine Moors in 2018.
But legal wrangling with developer Sparkle Developments and pleas from homeowners meant the work to take them down did not start until May last year.
However now after the demolition of the properties, two of owners of the plots of land have applied to have them rebuilt.
But councillors yesterday rejected the new application for a farmhouse property to be recreated, after the initial planning permission in 2014 was for a refurbishment not an entirely new structure.
The original farmhouse had stood for more than 100 years, but was demolished as part of the previous ruling.
An officer’s report to councillors, said: “Plot 5 is the site of the former farmhouse demolished in 2016 and an unauthorised dwelling was subsequently built on the plot.
“This unauthorised dwelling along with the other four unauthorised dwellings at Grundy Fold Farm have been subject to numerous refused planning applications, the serving of an enforcement notice for their demolition, and a dismissed combined planning and enforcement appeal.
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“Plot 5 did have planning permission for alterations to and the extension of the farmhouse building but as the farmhouse was demolished in 2016 this previously approved dwelling cannot be built.
“Officers consider that the proposed development would constitute inappropriate development in the green belt.
“Officers do not agree with the applicant that the erection of a new dwelling at Plot 5 could be described as a replacement dwelling, with the original farmhouse having been demolished and in any event the new dwelling would be materially larger than the original.”
The majority of the committee agreed with that assessment and voted to refuse permission.
But another mansion owner also applied to rebuild a home, with changes to the original 2014 planning.
They applied to change the orientation of the home, and repositioned a garage and removed a porch which was ultimately approved.
‘EXCESSIVE HOMES’
A previous inquiry heard how plot one had a 31 per-cent bigger footprint than allowed, while plot two was 19 per-cent bigger, plot three 32 per-cent bigger and plot four 33 per-cent bigger.
The developer had claimed the enforcement notice issued by the council to demolish the homes was excessive and too harsh to remedy any breach in planning regulations.
Elan Raja, who owns one of the mansions, told the hearing he’d faced a “nightmare” as he begged for his house to be left standing.
He said he paid £1,057,000 for the plot in 2016 – but has since spent more than £215,000 on the rental of an alternative property and other costs.
In spite of his pleas, the properties have now been torn down.
Councillor Andy Morgan said: “It’s the right thing to do.
“There are two applications for individual plots to be built with slight alterations.
“The intent is to rebuild them and save much of the materials.”
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