A TOTAL of 81 houses could be built when former university halls of residence near Bolton town centre are knocked down.

The latest plans to demolish the Hollins Halls of Residence in Radcliffe Road reveal that a combination of detached and semi-detached houses could be built at the site.

The development would no longer be made up of apartments, as agreed last year, if the final stage passes.

Councillors granted outline planning permission for the demolition to go ahead in October, allowing 115 dwellings to be built.

The initial proposal for the 3.19-hectare site proposes replacing the three vacant three-storey blocks with a mixture of one to three-bedroom flats and houses as well as a three-storey apartment block.

Now, developer Rowland Homes wants to fill the site with 81 houses of varying sizes.

The University of Bolton, which owns the site, previously applied to build 185 homes on its former Chadwick Street campus but withdrew the application in October last year.

Bolton Parish School is due to relocate to the same site after the council approved an application for a new primary school and nursery earlier this year.

The principle of demolishing the former halls of residence and building housing at the site has already been agreed.

This reserved matters application is currently due to be decided by planning officers by July.