A ROW between restaurant bosses and town-hall chiefs over a patch of land could finally be solved.

Last February, The Guide reported how, shortly after Bury Council gardeners had manicured a lawn at the junction of Bury News Road and Church Lane in Whitefield, a car park mysteriously appeared there.

It emerged that owners of the Porada restaurant had claimed ownership of the land and they were inviting customers to park there.

Local authority bosses were not amused.

They wrote to the eatery and asked them to put the land back as it was.

A Bury Council spokesman said: "This car park has been built on council land, without our permission.

"We will be contacting the restaurant owner asking him to reinstate the land to its original condition."

But the restaurant owners have dug their heels in and insisted that the council has no claim to the land.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of Whitefield and Unsworth Township Forum at Elms Community Centre in Green Lane, Whitefield, on Tuesday afternoon, when an olive branch was offered.

Whitefield Cllr John Mallon said: "Before now there were two options.

"One was for the council to pursue legal action and the other was for the council to sell the land to the restaurant, to make some money from it at a time of unprecedented Government cuts of the council's budget.

"However, I would put forward a third option. The council could rent the land to the restaurant.

"That would mean the council would earn rental income and still maintain control of the land.

"The restaurant would still be required to get planning permission and it is in a conservation area."

However, at the forum's last meeting in November, any compromise was been rejected by residents.

After the latest meeting of the forum, on January 5, Christine North, of Whitefield, said: "The local residents present at the forum have rejected Cllr Mallon's new proposal and intend to campaign to reinstate the plot of land which has been a local landmark at the heart of Whitefield for decades and more recently served as a gateway to the All Saints Conservation area, along with the plot of land on the other corner.

"This dispute is far from over. 

"If the change of use is allowed, it will set a precedent and could lead to further land grabs throughout the borough.

"The council firstly needs to look at alternatives for maintenance of green areas. For example, sponsorship or approaching the voluntary sector."

However, Hafizar Haris, who owns Porada, reacted with confusion as he claims he already owns the land.

Mr Haris said: "I bought the land in 2011 and the restaurant opened in 2012.

"I've seen the legal documents and my family owns the freehold of the land.

"The council is claiming that, in 1973, there was an agreement made that the landowner would lease the land to the council for 100 years.

"However, the council has not made a record of this available to us and, unless they can provide evidence that they have any claim to the land, then, as far as I can see, we are the owners."

Mr Haris said he had not put in a planning application for the land to be used as a car park as there was evidence of it being used for that purpose before the restaurant opened and because he wants to resolve the land ownership dispute first.

He added: "I have been to see people at the council in an attempt to resolve the issue and it has not been successful.
"I would be more than happy to sit down with them to discuss it."