A PLOT of land controversially put up for sale by Bradford Council was withdrawn from the auction, while other lots around the district went under the hammer.

The sale of a plot of agricultural land in Apperley Lane, Apperley Bridge was halted recently, after Bradford Council was made aware that Yorkshire Water may be interested in acquiring the land to create a new country park entrance.

The 3.87 acre site had a guide price of £30,000, which Idle and Thackley Councillor Jeanette Sunderland had described as “a tiny amount”.

She said she was concerned that the land would be used for housing and said it was important that open spaces were preserved.

“The Council is going to build thousands of houses across the district and it is pieces of land like this which have to be protected.

“”I asked the Council to pause with the sale and we now have to wait to see what Yorkshire Water is going to decide and that is going to be in the next two or three weeks.

“I am in favour of a country park because that will preserve the open area.

“It is up to people like me to defend that land and I have been involved with the Environment Agency and Local Community Council to discuss it.”

Fellow Idle and Thackley councillor Dominic Fear said he was delighted the sale had been paused.

“It makes sense to defend these bits of land. The area has already had a disproportionate number of homes given permission and selling off bits of land here and there does not give anyone any control.

“There has to be a more joined up approach to development.”

“There may come a time when the railway station may need expanding and more parking and we need to be sensible so I am glad the sale was pulled.”

Bradford Council had initially said it was selling the piece of land because it was a relatively small size and its proximity to the railway line made it inappropriate for the creation of a park or entrance to a park. It said it made sense to dispose of an asset for which it had no use.

However, the lot was withdrawn from the auction, after a council officer spoke with a development surveyor from Yorkshire Water, who confirmed the county’s water provider may have an interest in acquiring the Apperley Lane site, and a decision would be made in the next two to three weeks.

Last week, Cllr Sunderland asked why alternative options for use of the site were not considered, such as flood relief or extra parking for Apperley Bridge railway station.

Bradford Council did sell a number of other properties at the auction, which was held at Elland Road in Leeds.

A Grade II-listed farmhouse in Cunliffe Lane, Esholt, was sold for £340,000, and a derelict Grade II-listed barn in the same place was sold for £226,000.

A 7.48 acre plot of agricultural land in Station Road, Guiseley, was sold for £82,000, £30,000 above its guide price, a 3.2 acre plot in Greenfield Lane went for £11,000 over its guide price at £31,000, and 2.71 acres of land in Merrydale Road, Bierley, went at its guide price of £18,000.

The biggest lot was a former masonic building on a 1.4 acre site in Spring Bank Place, Manningham, which brought the hammer down at half a million pounds.

The Council also sold, land in Wibsey for £17,500, and a three bedroom detached house in Toller Grove, Heaton, for £193,000.

A spokesman for Yorkshire Water said: "We can confirm that we were approached by Bradford Council about the piece of land in Apperley Bridge.

"As one of the region's largest landowners we are regularly approached by people and organisations looking to sell land, and assess each opportunity on its merits."