A NEW energy plant scheme has been approved by Bradford Council, despite concerns it could harm plans to bring hundreds of jobs to the area.

Shovel Ready has been granted planning permission to build a gas powered energy generation plant on a derelict plot of land off Parry Lane.

The application was successful despite objections from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which said it could compromise plans to develop the area as an enterprise zone and attract “high quality” jobs.

The plant will see gas imported into the facility through an underground pipeline, and when required by National Grid the facility will be capable of producing up to 7MW of energy.

The application says: “The facility would provide a key source of flexibility to help address some of the challenges associated with the transition to a low-carbon electricity sector.”

Although there will be 10 jobs created while it is being built, there will be no permanent jobs.

In 2015 Parry Lane, off Sticker Lane, was named part of the Leeds City Region’s M62 Corridor Enterprise Zone - set up to make the most of areas with good transport links and promote them to employers, including manufacturing firms.

It was said the Parry Lane site could create up to 270 jobs.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority had raised their concerns over the plans, saying the plant would reduce the site’s potential as an enterprise zone. They said: “The development is inconsistent with delivering high quality business and job growth’ and maximising the efficient use of sites and delivering high quality development within the manufacturing sector.

“The site has the potential to deliver up to 20,000 sq m of manufacturing floorspace and approximately 270 skilled jobs. The proposal appears to occupy and/or compromise the development of approximately a third of the enterprise zone site for employment uses.

“Therefore there is likely to be a significant net reduction in these economic outputs which will have adverse impact on City Region and local economic regeneration objectives.”

But Bradford Council planning officers approved the plant just before Christmas, saying: “Whilst the use of the land as a standby generation plant would not constitute an employment use, it is an appropriate land use as it would support the function of the employment zone as a predominantly industrial and commercial area.

"It is also evident that the site has remained vacant for a significant period of time and this proposal would provide the opportunity to bring about environmental benefits as a result of the implementation of a landscaping scheme and through the on-going maintenance of the site."

Discussing concerns that the plant could harm future development of the area, the planners' report says: "The site has remained vacant having been continuously marketed for employment use for a period of at least two years.

"The site remains vacant and there have been no planning applications submitted for manufacturing or any other employment uses.

"Consequently it is considered that the proposed alternative use is justified."