BRADFORD Council has paid out more than £80,000 to developers in the last five years after fighting five planning appeals which were overturned by the Government's planning inspectorate.

The authority was forced to pay just over £50,000 after a public inquiry into Omega Proteins' animal rending plant in Denholme went against them last year. In addition the Council paid out £26,000 after a hearing into a residential development of almost 100 homes in Royds Hall Lane, Low Moor.

Both applications had been discussed at the authority's respective planning panels, with the former being approved with added conditions, and the latter being turned down due to an inadequate level of social contributions.

Details of all the planning appeal cost applications were released to the Telegraph & Argus under Freedom of Information rules.

In contrast to the five appeal costs awards which went in the developers' favour, there were also five instances in the same timeframe where a developer was knocked back in its bid to recover costs, three of which related to a run of public inquiries in 2010 over developments in Keighley and Ilkley.

Furthermore there are two pending appeal cost bids in the last couple of months where the exact amount to be paid out by the Council has yet to be agreed. These are over a drive-through KFC at Odsal roundabout and a M Local convenience store in Bradford Road, Clayton.

In addition the authority itself successfully applied for its costs to be partially met last year after an appeal over enforcement action at Allerton Road in Bradford was upheld. The amount the Council will receive over the case has yet to be agreed.

Councillor Val Slater, the authority's executive member with responsibility for planning, said: "Generally when planning applications go to appeal we are successful in over 70 per cent of them, which is in line with Government requirements.

"Even when appeals are allowed the numbers when costs are awarded against the Council are few and far between."

Of the biggest payout to the firm behind the Omega Proteins plant, she added that the award was in respect of a planning condition over development rights the inspector felt was not needed, but the Council remained convinced that the condition was reasonable.

The second biggest award relates to a housing development where the planning committee was not convinced by the viability figures presented by the developer, she said, and thus asked for a higher contribution in terms of affordable housing. The inspector disagreed and awarded the developer costs, which was a "great disappointment", Cllr Slater said.

Planning appeal costs awarded in cases involving Bradford Council between 2010-2015 were:

*£50,203.83 awarded against the Council following a public inquiry into the removal of planning conditions at Omega Proteins, Erlings Works, Half Acre Road, Denholme, in January 2014

*£26,825.98 awarded against the Council following a hearing into a residential development of 97 homes at Royds Hall Lane, Low Moor, Bradford, in October 2011.

*£2,200 awarded against the Council following a written appeal into the construction of a detached home in Brook Street, Oakenshaw, in November 2013.

*£1,400 awarded against the Council following a hearing into the siting of a caravan, stables and kennels and residential use at Ten Yards Lane, Denholme, in February 2012.

*£850 awarded against the Council following a written appeal into the construction of a detached home and garage at Southlands Grove, Riddlesden, Keighley, in November 2012.