COUNCILLORS have warned a proposed development on the site of a dairy farm could cause dangerous traffic conditions at a nearby Grade II-listed 18th-century bridge.

The single track Fisherman’s Bridge, which has no separate pedestrian crossing facilities, would be an access point to a proposed innovation centre at Milner Field Farm, in Primrose Lane, Gilstead.

The centre would include research laboratories and units for start-up businesses, and also the refurbishment of the Milner Field Farm House, under plans submitted by Bradford Innovation Centre Limited (BICL).

Protesters are objecting to the plans as the site is on green belt land and they fear additional use of the bridge, 300 metres from the site, by vehicles could cause accidents, as it is used by children walking to school.

But a traffic report carried out for Bradford Council says there would only be a minimal increase in the number of vehicles using the bridge.

The application is set to go before Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee meeting on Monday, May 15.

Councillor David Heseltine (Con, Bingley) said pedestrians who used the bridge would face increased danger.

He said: “It is plainly idiotic to encourage more vehicles on an already busy lane.

“People will go against the flow of vehicles going out of the area and children going to school. It’s ridiculous.”

Councillor John Pennington (Con, Bingley) said: “It’s a nightmare there really. It is dangerous as it is for pedestrians. ”

Councillor Mark Shaw (Con, Bingley) said: “I think it’’s ridiculous. It is a narrow bridge and we have enough traffic going over it as it is.”

Protester Les Brook, 73, said: “Safety is the major concern. It is bound to get worse.”

Paragon Highways carried out a transport assessment on the site at the request of Bradford Council. It found there was only one accident, reported as a slight incident – in March 2013, involving a car and a cyclist – in Primrose Lane between 2012 and last year.

The report states: “The reported accident information demonstrates that despite the volumes of pedestrian and vehicular traffic that use Fisherman’s Bridge on a daily basis, it has a very good road safety record, with no accidents occurring at the bridge during the study period.”

The study also conducted a traffic count on March 22 this year, between 7am and 9.30am and 4pm and 6.30pm. It found 519 vehicles travelled over the bridge during the morning session, and 447 during the evening. It calculated there would be a 3.2 per cent rise in traffic during peak times in the morning, and 3.5 per cent during the evening, if the development went ahead.

BICL spokesman David Beal said: “Once implemented and approved, the Business and Innovation Centre car park will only create a three per cent increase in traffic usage of the bridge at peak times. Our understanding is that if this percentage increase is below five per cent as defined by the relevant statutory highway bodies, then the traffic increase is deemed to be insignificant and cannot therefore be a legitimate reason for refusing a planning application on the grounds of highways.”

BICL spokesman David Beal said: “Please note Paragon’s conclusions that there have never been any accidents reported on this bridge and that, more importantly, once implemented and approved, the Business and Innovation Centre car park will only create a three per cent increase in traffic usage of the bridge at peak times.

“Our understanding is that if this percentage increase is below five per cent as defined by the relevant statutory highway bodies, then the traffic increase is deemed to be insignificant and cannot therefore be a legitimate reason for refusing a planning application on the grounds of highways.”

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