PLANS for shops and apartments in Keighley have been recommended for refusal by planning chiefs due to flood risk at the site.

The proposal, from Abdul Kuddus, is for a two-storey building with five ground floor retail units and five first-floor apartments at the Dawat Lounge site in Bradford Road, Stockbridge.

The development would be on unused land next to Mother Hubbard’s fish and chip shop, which was previously the Bridge Inn.

The application, which also includes 49 parking spaces, is due to go before the Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel on Tuesday, where it is recommend for refusal because of potential flooding.

The council’s report says the land falls within an area where more business activity is being encouraged.

“The five shops would be an economic activity employing people and could support the surrounding employment generating uses,” it adds.

It also says there is no objection to the principle of living accommodation above the shops.

However, the land, which is close to the Rivers Aire and Worth, was hit by last year’s Boxing Day floods.

A council officer’s report said: “It is well known that Stockbridge is vulnerable to flooding.

“The higher flood level has therefore been taken as the design flood level for the purposes of the flood risk assessment, so the applicant’s consultants agree that the rivers Aire and Worth present a flood risk to the proposed development.”

It says a document submitted on behalf of the applicant about flood risk mitigation has been studied.

“However, this is unacceptable as the proposed development levels make the evacuation route unduly hazardous for occupants and emergency services accessing and exiting the building during extreme flooding events,” it adds.

Bradford Council has received eight letters of support and six objections to the plans.

Some people have welcomed the extra employment opportunities and say new drainage systems will help alleviate flooding, but objectors are concerned about extra traffic and the size of the building.

Others questioned the need for extra shops when there were already empty ones near by.

The application’s agent, Michael Ainsworth of Mike Ainsworth Design Partnership, remains hopeful the development will be approved, despite the concerns expressed in the report.

“We believe we have put in an application needed. The area needs more shops and accommodation, there is also a national housing shortage,” he said.

“We are disappointed that the local authority has recommended it for refusal but we would hope that the panel see all of the information and come to a different decision. It has been refused before, but just on technicalities.

The application was previously refused in July 2014 for inadequate flood risk assessments, a lack of information about car parking and lack of retail impact assessment by Bradford Council planning chiefs.

A revised application was refused in October last year. Reasons also included a lack of detail about car parking and highway safety.