BRADFORD Council could lose out on over £300,000 of contributions to schools and recreation after a housing developer said it was unable to pay the originally agreed amount.

Persimmons Homes’ plans for 220 homes on Cote Farm in Thackley date back to 2013, and met with a huge amount of opposition in the area. The objections led to the outline scheme being refused by Bradford Council in 2014.

But the developers appealed, and in 2015 a government planning inspector overturned the Council’s decision, saying the need for housing land in Bradford was “severe and immediate.”

Detailed plans for 60 of the homes has already been approved, and more recently the developer has submitted the detailed plans for the remainder of the development.

On Thursday the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee will decide whether to approve these plans.

Since the outline plans were approved by the government inspector, Persimmon Homes has reduced the number of houses it aims to build at the site to 207. This means that the committee will be deciding on the 147 homes on Thursday.

A report to go before the committee says Persimmon is asking the Council to allow it to reduce the amount it has to pay as part of its planning obligations.

As a condition of the approval, Persimmon agreed it would have to pay £2.7 million towards creating more spaces at local schools, providing new recreation space and improving public transport in the area.

The report says Persimmon is able to pay £2.4 million towards this - £310,000 less than originally agreed. This follows a “development appraisal” submitted by the housebuilder and independently assessed. It adds: “The conclusion of the assessment being that allowing for a 20 per cent gross development value, the return made by the developer, there would be a balance of.£2.4m for planning obligations. This results in a shortfall of £310,000. The applicant is seeking this being reduced from planning obligations – education, recreation space and public transport.”

The committee has been urged to approve the new plans, and agree to the reduced contribution by Persimmon.

It meets in Bradford City Hall at 11am on Thursday.