PLANS for a private road running across farmland to improve lorry access to a chicken factory in Cullingworth have been given the go-ahead by Bradford Council.

The new route will link Haworth Road to a bridleway at Manor Farm, near the processing plant operated by HCF Poultry Ltd on Station Road.

Council planning officers had recommended the scheme be refused in order to preserve green belt land and prevent the threat of noise and disturbance to nearby residents, but it was approved by the regulatory and appeals committee today.

One of the HCF's suppliers, Smyth Transport, had applied to build the 250m road solely for its own use, but committee members said they hoped all HGVs visiting the plant would eventually use the new road to reduce traffic congestion in the village.

The committee had to show "special circumstances" to justify building on green belt land, but re-routing HGVs away from the village was deemed a "justifiable exception".

Ward councillor Michael Ellis (Con, Bingley Rural) attended the meeting to lend his support to the development.

"Granting this application would reduce the number of lorries on the bridleway by Station Road by 50 per cent," he said.

"It would be an excellent idea for the village, and there could be talks for all vehicles to use the road."

Committee chairman, Councillor David Warburton, also said he hoped the developer could work with all HCF's suppliers to allow them to use the road.

"The community has to be looked after, and this will alleviate a lot of traffic in a built-up area," he said.

Councillor Malcolm Sykes (Con, Thornton and Allerton) said: "Anything that helps the number of heavy vehicles going through villages has to be helpful.

"It's a difficult one, but I'm trying to look in favour of local residents."

The proposal had been backed in principle by Cullingworth Village Council due to its potential to ease HGV movements through the village, but some residents had objected to the scheme due to issues such as increased traffic and noise pollution.

Members stipulated that the new road could only be used while HCF's haulage yard at Manor Farm remained in use, and attached a condition that the applicant must pay for all highway works.

During the meeting at City Hall, the committee also granted outline planning permission for the construction of 66 houses at Castle Mill, off Becks Road, Keighley.

The development on the former scrapyard site was first proposed in 2010, and the new scheme includes a £75,000 contribution towards local education infrastructure.

Members also gave their approval to the new management plan for the Saltaire World Heritage site, which will now go before the Council's executive next month.