Land behind a convenience store - described by local residents as a 'rough building site' and a 'dump' - could be transformed into two apartment blocks.
The site, behind Premier Stores' Highfield Convenience Store, on Highfield Road, Farnworth, used to be the beer garden of the Flying Shuttle pub.
It was briefly a tyre fitting centre. An application to build a takeaway restaurant was rejected.
Now a plan for 'two buildings, comprising 12 apartments with associated amenity space, landscaping and parking' has been submitted.
If approved, one apartment block will have six two-bedroom flats, while the other will have four two-bedroom flats and two one-bedroom flats.
One of the buildings will look out onto Anchor Lane, while the other will be next to Wren Close.
At the Harper Green area forum last September, residents living on Highfield Road and Anchor Lane raised concerns about the untidy land and asked if there were plans for it.
Neighbourhood development manager John Pye told the meeting that the planning enforcement team were opening a case on it.
In response to the newly submitted plans, Harper Green ward councillor Sue Haworth said: "This application for twelve flats seeks a build of two sets of six flats on the concrete area behind 229 Highfield Road.
"Ward councillors will listen to all of the views of residents in the area and the near by streets. We know from our area forum that residents want this site at Anchor Lane to be visually pleasant.
"Also at the area forum residents have said that they want the parking of vehicles and access routes for vehicles to be safe for pedestrians.”
