Developers make new bid for 400 green belt homes (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Developers make new bid for 400 green belt homes

Developers have revealed they are to submit a controversial plan to build hundreds of homes on a green field site which won a reprieve from development five years ago.

Julie Pinchbeck at the development site in Micklethwaite

Bellway and Redrow will seek outline planning permission from Bradford Council to build on the land in Greenhill and Sty Lane, Micklethwaite.

The company held a public consultation with residents last month which sparked widespread opposition.

The building companies are acting upon the decision of an Inspector overseeing Bradford Council’s unitary development plan in 2003.

He ruled that there should be a five-year moratorium on building on the site. That period is now over.

A spokesman for Bellway and Redrow said: “Following a public consultation exercise and a number of meetings with the planning and highways departments in the Council, the developers Bellway and Redrow will be lodging an outline planning application with Bradford Council next week.

“The application for the land at Micklethwaite reflects the site’s allocation in Bradford’s Development Plan and proposes circa 400 homes.

“The site will provide a comprehensive range of house types to meet demand from all quarters of the market including affordable homes.”

Joining the ranks of opponents is constituency MP Philip Davies (Con, Shipley), who last week in Parliament voiced his opposition to development of open land, citing Micklethwaite as an example where the Government was allowing the countryside to be concreted over.

He has called on people to register their opposition so the Council is aware of the strength of opposition.

He said: “I will do all I can to support local residents wishing to prevent a development from taking place here, although we start from a difficult position due to an appalling decision back in the 1990s to include this land in the UDP.

“Scrapping the regional house building targets imposed by the Government on local authorities would be an extremely helpful start.

“We have housing targets imposed on councils, in Bradford they have to build 50,000 houses by 2020.

“What is even more galling is that by the Government’s own admission one third of housing will be needed for future immigration. If Government got a grip of immigration this would not be needed.”

The Inspector in his 2003 decision said the single-lane swing bridge across the canal in Micklethwaite Lane was not adequate to take the extra traffic and said a fixed bridge would be better but it would need a short canal diversion British Waterways was against building a two-lane swing bridge because of the cost and longer time to operate.

Julie Pinchbeck, of Bridge Cottage, Micklethwaite Lane, said “We must preserve our green space.

“Should planning permission be granted, we will be pushing for a fixed bridge with supporting transport links to the development site.”

Pauline Wood, of Micklethwaite, a member of Greenhill Action Group, said she was not in a position to comment on the new plans until she had seen them.

John Eyles, the Council’s major development manager, said: “There have been ongoing negotiations between planning officers and developers for some time over the Greenhill, Sty Lane site, with a view to an outline planning application being submitted.”

e.mail:clive.white @telegraphandargus.co.uk