An angry developer is urging Bradford Council to choose "regeneration" over "degeneration" when dealing with his plans to transform a decaying listed building.
Anthony Mann, director of Topreel Property Development, says Bradford city centre will miss out on a £2.5 million investment if a planning application for 6 and 6A, Rawson Place, is turned down.
Mr Mann's company, based in Bradford, has applied to create two ground floor retail units with eight upstairs apartments in the Grade Two listed building, which has been derelict for about 10 years and is on the Buildings at Risk register.
The company is also in the process of buying two more properties on the same street, numbers 8 and 10, to develop along the same lines.
But Mr Mann fears much of Rawson Place will continue to degenerate because his plans are being blocked at the first hurdle by council planning officers, who are recommending the scheme for refusal on the grounds of unacceptable residential amenity.
The Council's team leader for the city centre, Stewart Currie, said: "Mr Mann has applied to develop eight apartments in 6 and 6a Rawson Place. The plans he has submitted show the bedrooms some three metres away from neighbouring properties.
"Unfortunately Mr Mann has refused to alter his plans and we are recommending his application is refused because of unacceptable residential amenity issues."
But Mr Mann said: "We have spent £25,000 on architects and surveyors, it has been five months in the planning, and the scheme we are proposing at the moment is the only cost-effective method to redevelop these buildings, one of which is on the buildings at risk register as high alert.
"Half the street is derelict or disused and we are here with a full building team ready and willing to be on site in June to begin transforming things.
"We were putting £1.2 million into 6 and 6A, then we were looking to buy two more - numbers 8 and 10 - to develop in the same way, bringing the total investment to £2.5 million. But, if this gets turned down, there's no point buying the others."
Mr Mann said the Council's stance contradicted the Neighbourhood Development Framework, developed by Bradford Centre Regeneration and the Council, which recommends historic buildings be brought back to life by finding a sustainable use for the upper floors.
He said: "If the planning application is not approved, then we will have to leave the property as it stands and sell. Whether we find another developer who has the same passion for restoration of the historic fabric or the same passion for Bradford as ourselves is open to debate."
Mr Mann said the development of 6 and 6A would act as a catalyst for the renovation and conservation of the entire street.
He has written a letter to the council's planning department, which concludes: "Regeneration - the birth of a new city or Degeneration - the death of a city. The choice is yours."
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