A BBC reporter who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer two years ago claims proposals to alter his family home are being unfairly impeded by planning chiefs.

Jonathan Ali and his brother Richard have applied for a two-storey side and rear extensions at Bramley Fold Farm, in Hawkshaw Lane.

The application will go before Bury Council’s planning committee on Tuesday and members have been advised to refuse the application on the grounds that the proposals are “neither sympathetic to nor compatible with the historic significance of the building.”

Jonathan was born in the 18th century house, which is still home to himself, his parents and Richard and his family.

And he says the proposals are essential to allow them to remain in their family home.

And he takes issue with the planning officers invoking a draft heritage asset list which he says is “not policy, has not been approved and has not been consulted on.”

The 49-year-old, said: “It’s not a case of a get rich quick scheme like some developers, we have always lived here and it’s a case of allowing us to continue to live here.”

Jonathan was diagnosed with the rare cancer Ewing Sarcoma in 2016, which led to him undergoing extensive surgery and nine months of chemotherapy.

And he says his needs have not been given sufficient weight in the officer’s report to the planning committee.

He said: “I spoke to a planning agent and was told that the council may not take much medical evidence, but it’s condensed to just one line. And there’s no mention in it that I’m disabled.”

And he claims that his family is being held to a different standard to other applicants.

He added: “We were expected to do a heritage assessment because we were on a draft list built and at the same time other buildings on the list not been expected to do heritage assessments, so that begs the question ‘why are we being expected to jump through hoops?’.”

However the planning officers reports says the heritage assessment “falls short” of the National Planning Policy Framework requirements (NPPF) and makes “little attempt to assess the significance of the original building and the scheme’s impact on it