Bid to build 2,700 homes backed by Bradford councillors (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Housing planned for green belt land between Holme Wood and Tong
9:37pm Thursday 5th January 2012 in Holme Wood
Canon Gordon Dey
Plans to build thousands of homes on green belt land between Holme Wood and Tong have been approved by a scrutiny committee.
Bradford Council’s Regeneration and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee tonight approved recommendations to go forward to the executive later this month.
Members heard how a three-month consultation had produced a mixed response, but were urged by local councillors to back the plan.
A report to the committee contained two options – to build either 600 or up to 2,700 homes.
Members were told that while respondents to the consultation were in favour of fewer homes being built, they supported opportunities which could result from the larger development.
Tong ward Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab), chairman of the Holme Wood and Tong Partnership Board, told members he was in support of building more homes.
He said: “I would urge members to support option two. Whatever the outcome of today, and certainly when it goes through the executive, people should start getting behind this and start looking to the future.”
However, Canon Gordon Dey, chairman of the Save Tong and Fulneck Valley Association, said people were not prepared to lose green belt land for regeneration opportunities, which he would have preferred to be carried in an “evolutionary not revolutionary” manner.
He also said not enough consultation had been held into whether the area’s infrastructure could cope.
He said: “We have never had the infrastructure. All of this has never been properly or thoroughly discussed.
But ward Councillor Michael Johnson (Lab), also a member of the Holme Wood and Tong Partnership Board, said only a small part of the green belt was to be used.
He said: “It does take green belt and I think we need to be clear we would object to any further incursion beyond this because that would remove the lung between Leeds and Bradford and that lung, as a kid I used to play in and I still walk in.”
Comments(11)
bradmat
says...
12:56am Fri 6 Jan 12
Bodica BD4
says...
11:21am Fri 6 Jan 12
Gordon Dey explained his concerns with the process while Val Slater vigorously shook her head and looked up to the sky and exchanged meaningful glances with the three BD4 councillors completely undermined Gordon.
Then the three BD4 labour councillors spoke and ripped up what Gordon said, they told lies and half truths which Gordon could not defend as he was not allowed to speak.
I attended the meetings Gordon was dreferring to and this is why I can say they were lies and half truths.
And it was also explained by the chair that the Scrutiny Committee had no power to investigate these concerns as these plans were being fast tracked to the Executive.
Not only has tax payers money been wasted in a pointless meeting but true Governance is not being carried out.
Yorkshire Lass
says...
1:23pm Fri 6 Jan 12
thepointis
says...
1:56pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Bodica BD4
says...
2:01pm Fri 6 Jan 12
enviroMENTAL
says...
3:17pm Fri 6 Jan 12
thepointis wrote:I don't think that is in issue rather it is where, how many, what type, is there the infrastucture and services, how many are currently sat empty and so forth. Planning is a bit more complex than your point would suggest.
The need for a home is greater than the need for a view or a dog walking "spot" pardon the pun.
Bodica BD4
says...
3:37pm Fri 6 Jan 12
The plan is quite simply to splat down a load of homes and hope for the best. The residents of Holme Wood will get some nice new road signs and some block paving and a wing and a prayer promise of a new shopping centre.
The NDP also brings a road down from Westgate Hill Street and onto country lanes in the heart of the Tong Valley leading to Dick Lane or A6110 Leeds Ring road. Given heavy congestion that we have on Tong Street this will encourage hundreds of motorists to cut through the planned development and into the country lanes in an effort to cut out Tong Street.
This will make the country lanes perilous for all the people who do use and value the valley for walking/riding/cycli
ng.
What Planning? What Scrutiny?
Patrick Bateman
says...
6:08pm Fri 6 Jan 12
'and a .. promise of a new shopping centre'.
Oh dear; we all know the council's track record on that score don't we..?
Val Slater 'vigorously shaking her head' and 'looking up to the sky' you say? The same woman who went on record earlier on in the week as saying that Bradford was 'thriving'? I think it should be US looking to the skies in despair with this set of unaccountable clowns in charge don't you?
Thee Voice Of Treason
says...
12:54pm Sat 7 Jan 12
Thee Voice Of Treason
says...
12:54pm Sat 7 Jan 12
webess says...
10:22pm Thu 5 Jan 12
Can I therefore assume there'll be no objections to new road building going forward?