PROTESTERS are gearing up to fight plans for up to 200 homes on green belt land in Keighley.

Concerned politicians and community representatives say the land – in Goose Cote Lane – marks a clear boundary on the southern edge of built-up Keighley and must be preserved.

A pre-application public consultation is now underway ahead of proposals being submitted by GCL Developments.

Keighley West councillor, Cath Bacon, said the land required “special circumstances” for any housing project.

“I’m vehemently opposed to development on green belt,” she said. “Goose Cote Lane marks the boundary of the built-up part of Keighley in that direction, and that green belt is there for a reason.”

Keighley MP John Grogan agreed that apart from in “exceptional situations”, green belt should not be built on.

He said: “Goose Cote Lane is a strong, clear boundary to the built-up area of Keighley and, in my view, should remain so.

“The housing target for Keighley is 4,500 new dwellings between now and 2030.

“The next step for Bradford Council is to propose site allocations, and every effort must be made to find brownfield sites for housing so sites like that at Goose Cote Lane are not needed.”

Town councillor Martin Walker, of the Bogthorn and Exley Head ward, feared infrastructure in the area would not support the scheme.

“Primary schools and health centres are full. Adding more and more houses, with more people and cars, is going to overwhelm the infrastructure,” he said.

Fellow town councillor Barry Thorne, who represents Bracken Bank and Ingrow ward, said the green belt was “very precious”. “What we have in Keighley now is a massive area where they were meant to build a cinema and shopping centre. That’s now completely void. Maybe that’s where they should be building new houses – in the town centre?”

Sam Dewar – director of agent DPA Planning Ltd, which is acting for GCL – said that while the fields were green belt, they had previously been earmarked by Bradford Council as a possible development site in its Local Plan for the Bradford District Allocations Development Plan document.

He also revealed about 100 of the proposed homes would provide accommodation for over-50s.

Mr Dewar added: “The actual application would need to include a landscape visual impact assessment and transport and ecology assessments.

“And we’d be providing everything the Council requires with regards to contributions towards things like education.”