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In August, Bolton Council said planning permission had not been applied for to add metal sheds and an extension along the side of the former NatWest building on the corner of Church Street, Farnworth. The authority then set a deadline for their demolition and removal.
It said the structure came into effect within two months of the enforcement notice on September 30.
This week, Farnworth Fresh Food began operating from the former bank hall and is using the extension to sell a wide range of fruit and vegetables.
Management at the store said they had appealed the enforcement notice and if that appeal failed, the structure would be removed.
Graffiti was previously sprayed on the metal shutters on the extension that said “pull it down”.
A spokesman for the business said the business had faced hostility and threats since opening, but the intention behind the business was to “serve the community”.
“There have been a few incidents that I have on CCTV,” he said. “These people say they care about the building, but I told one person that they want to damage it. There were others who threw stones on the roof.
“The business employs five people, we pay thousands in rent and operating costs. The extension covers a small space.
“We have announced the notice, but if it comes to that, we will take it down.”
The building, of Victorian origin, has long been admired by many Farnworth residents for its architectural merits. It first opened as a branch of the Bank of Bolton, designed by architect George Woodhouse in 1877.
The NatWest branch which previously occupied the building is set to close in May 2025.
The property includes a basement, ground floor banking room, and first floor office accommodation.
In April this year, plans to transform a section of the building into a seven-bedroom shared house were rejected by the council.
In September, retrospective planning permission was applied for by Farnworth Fresh Food for the unauthorized site extension.
However, Bolton Council said they would not consider this proposal while the enforcement notice was in force.
The notice, published by Bolton Council, states that subject to an appeal, the unauthorized extension must be scrapped and the roller doors must come into effect within two months of the notification on September 30.
The notice said: “Today, (25 August 2026), planning enforcement have issued an enforcement notice on the above site for ‘without planning permission, the unauthorized extension of commercial premises and the unauthorized installation of three roller doors’.
A condition of the notice of notice states: “Restore the southern main elevation of the building immediately before the unauthorized development took place.
“This includes but is not limited to, the repair of the original elevation removed or damaged during construction work using materials to match the original building in appearance, color, texture and finish.”
That element of work must be completed within nine months of the notification coming into effect.
