'Homes development will ease village's traffic woes' (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

'Homes development will ease Denholme's traffic woes'

7:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Chris Young, T&A Reporter

Councillor Simon Cooke at the site of the proposed development in Denholme

Attempts to improve the traffic in Denholme will be part of a proposed 37-house development in the village, the project’s designers have revealed.

Next week a public exhibition will reveal plans for a housing estate off New Road and Long Causeway, a notoriously dangerous stretch of road that has seen several accidents in recent years.

The planning agency behind their design says the development would include improvements to the road system that would benefit the whole village, and could include traffic lights.

CBRE property agency and Architecture 1B will show off their plans at a public exhibition at the Mechanics’ Institute on Tuesday and Wednesday, from noon to 7pm, and invite Denholme residents to comment and raise any concerns before a planning application is submitted.

The plans will be put forward by the landowner, yet to be named, and if approved they plan to sell the site to a housing developer.

Bradford Council has previously allocated the land as “potentially suitable” for housing, as their Local Development Framework requires 450 new houses in Denholme in the next 20 years. The group acknowledges the existing problems on the road and say they have come up with three possible changes that could make it safer.

Jay Everett, from CBRE, said: “We anticipate that the main concern of residents will be the impact of the proposals on the local highway network. After consulting with the Town Council last week we have prepared three alternative options.

“We know the speeds on the road are quite fast and it is a problem. The works around the site could slow things down and improve things for the whole village. We will use feedback from residents to decide the best way forward.”

The plans have already been met with scepticism, with local councillor Simon Cooke questioning why new housing land was needed when a nearby former mill site also earmarked for housing, remained undeveloped.