MAJOR plans have been submitted to build 80 new homes as a “regeneration anchor” on a canal-side site in Shipley.

The proposed development would occupy an area off Dock Lane that housed the former Lexicon warehouse in Bankside.

The factory was closed in 2008 and has now been demolished.

The plans being considered by Bradford Council are for 70 houses, including five two-bedroom properties, 52 three-bed homes, and 13 with four bedrooms.

The final ten properties would be two-bedroom flats, and the site would include a total of 159 parking spaces.

An application to transform the brownfield site has been made by planning consultants England Lyle Good on behalf of Mandale Homes 2 Ltd.

Planning permission for residential development on the site was previously approved in both 2009 and January 2015, with the latter still in place.

A statement supporting the plans reads: “The site has lain largely fallow since the demolition of the factory.

“The proposals offer an excellent opportunity to revitalise this site as part of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal conservation area, creating a high-quality, sustainable residential development in the heart of Shipley.

“The scale and density of the dwellings reflects the aspirations of the local authority to provide a quality scheme, a benchmark in starting the regeneration of the area.

“At present the canal setting is not made the most of and opportunities exist to realise the potential for this resource.

“The proposals provide an excellent opportunity to start to realise the potential of the site and act as a regeneration anchor.

“The only adverse impact resulting from these proposals is the loss of the employment use, although this loss has already been considered acceptable by the Council through the previous planning approval.

“This consent remains the fall-back position, however this scheme offers a viable and attractive scheme which the applicant is keen to bring forward for development.”

The Council’s own Environmental Health Pollution Team has given its backing to the project on the condition that charging points for electric vehicles are provided at the site, and a full emission management plan is put in place before construction work begins.

The authority’s Parks and Green Spaces Service has stated that the developer would need to provide a contribution of £126,966 for the provision and enhancement of local recreation facilities and playing fields.

The Council has also stated that a contribution of £330,155 towards local education infrastructure would be requested.

One resident, Linda Barber, of Dockfield Road, has raised concerns that new traffic signals would need to be installed due to an increase in the volume of traffic using the railway bridge on Dock Lane.

She said: “There are many near incidents of cars colliding with drivers going too fast and forcing other vehicles to have to reverse back up the road. Traffic signals will be a necessity during the day at least, as the traffic with increase even more.”

The Council is set to make a decision on the plans by June 9.